Entry for CISSUS quadrangularis L. [family VITACEAE]
Entry From
Flora Somalia, Vol 2, (1999) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
Notes
Fara goi, gamagoya, gaad, mararian, wanowano (Som.). Verdcourt in Fl. Trop. E. Afr.(1993) recognized three varieties of C. quadrangularis in East Africa, var. quadrangularis with stems and leaves glabrous or almost so and angles of stems smooth or almost so, var. pubescens Dewit (syn. C. fischeri Gilg) with pubescent stems and leaves, and var. aculeatangula Verdc. with angles of stems minutely prickly. Most of the Somali material is var. quadrangularis, but Paoli 974 from S1 has densely hairy young stems, leaves and inflorescences and obviously represents var. pubescens. Also var. aculeatangula may occur in the southern part of the country. C. albiporcata Masinde & L. G. Newton was also reported from Somalia by Verdcourt in Fl. Trop. E. Afr. (1993). This differs from C. quadrangularis by having 8-sided stems with four broad green faces alternating with four much narrower whitish grey faces. No good material of this taxon has been seen by me from Somalia and I prefer to leave it out.