Cayratia mollissima (Wall.) Gagnep.

Etymology	Genus	From the Annamese common name, a vine
	Species	Soft, perhaps referring to the hairs on the plant
Family		Vitaceae
Synonyms		Cissus mollissima (Wall.) Planch.
Common Names		Bush Grape
Status		Native: Endangered
Form		Woody climber
Native Distribution		India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore

Diagnostics:

A woody climber that is recorded at Singapore Botanic Gardens jungle and Macritchie Reservoir. The leaves are trifoliate. The stem and leaves are covered densely with hairs, but there is another form with very sparse hairs (Yeo et al., 2012). The fruits are most distinct, ripening to pink grape-like berries, but they are unpalatable due to the presence of oxalate crystals.

Interesting Facts:

While the fruits are not consumed, they have been seen to be cultivated probably for ornamental purposes.

References

Yeo, C. K., Ang, W. W., Lok, A. F. S. L., & Ong, K. H. (2012). Cayratia Juss. (Vitaceae) of Singapore: With a special note on Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagnep. Nature in Singapore, 5: 331–338.

Author: Siyang
Posted: 2026-02-06