A high climbing vine, with large petioled palmately lobed leaves,' and greenish flowers in long narrow drooping panicles. Sepals 6, oblong, obtuse. Petals none. Stamens about 12, nearly equalling the sepals; anthers 2-celled. Pistils 3, narrow; stigma laciniate. Drupe oval or globose, the stone flattened and hollowed out on one side, the embryo cordate. [Greek, cup-fruit, in allusion to the cup-like stone.]

A monotypic genus of eastern North America.

1. Calycocarpum Lyoni (Pursh) Nutt Cup-Seed

Fig. 1962

Menispermum Lyoni Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 371.

1814. C. Lyoni Nutt.; A. Gray, Gen. 1ll. 1: 76. 1848.

Climbing to the tops of trees, glabrous or slightly pubescent. Leaves long-petioled, thin, very broadly ovate or nearly orbicular in outline, 5'-8' long, cordate with a broad round sinus, palmately 3-7-lobed, glabrous above, more or less pubescent on the veins beneath; lobes ovate or oblong, acute or acuminate, repand, dentate or entire; panicles axillary, 5'-10' long, loose; flowers 2" broad; drupe nearly 1' long, black, the stone toothed or erose along the margin of its lateral cavity; pistillate flowers sometimes containing abortive stamens.

In rich woods, Illinois to Missouri and Kansas, south to Florida and Texas. May-June, the fruit ripe in August.