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Piper Vine
Piper kadsura
フウトウカズラ
An evergreen woody climber growing at forest edges in warm regions. A Japanese species of the genus Piper, with small flowers densely packed in spike-like inflorescences. Leaves are coriaceous, ovate, and glossy; fruits are small and ripen red.
Identification Points
- ✓Leaves coriaceous, ovate, entire-margined, and glossy
- ✓Flowers densely packed in spike-like inflorescences, without petals
- ✓Fruits small, spherical, ripening red
Habitat
Warm-temperate forests, forest edges, and coastal woodlands
Season
June–July (flowers), November–December (fruit)
3D Specimen Model
Kyushu University, Shikano Lab (CC0)
View on Sketchfab→Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Stipules
Present
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Aromatic
Aromatic
Phylogenetic Positionコショウ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Magnoliids > Piperales > Piperaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (ca. 90 Ma onwards)
Evolution Notes
Piperaceae belongs to Piperales, one of the most basal angiosperm groups, retaining primitive floral morphology (without perianth).
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification