Vasilis Teodoridis:
Menispermaceae | Cocculus
1. Cocculus orbiculatus (Linnaeus) Candolle; Syst. Nat. 1: 523. 1817.
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Woody vines. Young branches striate; puberulent to subglabrous. Petiole 1-3(-5) cm; whitish tomentose or pubescent; leaf blade variable in shape; linear-lanceolate to broadly ovate; narrowly elliptic to rotund; oblanceolate to obcordate; sometimes 3(-5)-lobed; 3-8(-10) cm; variable in width; papery to thinly leathery; both surfaces puberulent to glabrous; base rounded to truncate; occasionally broadly cuneate or shallowly cordate; margin entire; apex acute or obtuse; with a finely mucronate acumen; sometimes slightly emarginate or 2-lobed; palmately 3(or 5)-veined; basal pair of veins usually obscure beyond middle of leaf blade; slightly raised abaxially. Inflorescences axillary; cymose; few flowered; or many flowered arranged in a narrow terminal or axillary thyrse; up to 10 cm or longer; puberulent. Male flowers: bracteoles 1 or 2; ca. 0.5 mm; closely adnate to sepals; puberulent; sepals 6; outer whorl ovate or elliptic-ovate; 1-1.8 mm; inner whorl broadly elliptic to rotund; sometimes broadly obovate; up to 2.5 mm or slightly longer; petals 6; 1-2 mm; with sides shortly above base folded inward around opposite filament; apex divided into 2 acuminate or acute lobes; stamens 6; shorter than petals. Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male flower; staminodes 6; minute; carpels 6; glabrous. Drupes rotund; red to reddish purple; usually 7-8 mm in diam.; endocarp bony; 5-6 mm in diam.; abaxially ornamented with branched ridges.
Sparse forests; shrublands; village margins; forest margins; near sea level to 1200 m. Anhui; Fujian; Guangdong; Guangxi; Guizhou; Hainan; Henan; Hubei; Hunan; Jiangsu; Jiangxi; Shaanxi; Shandong; Sichuan; Taiwan; Yunnan; Zhejiang [E India; Indonesia; Japan; Laos; Malaysia; Nepal; Philippines; introduced in Indian Ocean islands (Mauritius; Réunion) and Pacific islands (Hawaii)].