''Bryonia'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

gourd family The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: *''Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds *'' Lagen ...

. Bryony is its best-known common name. They are native to western

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

and adjacent regions, such as

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

and

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

Description and ecology

Bryonies are

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

, tendril-

climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done fo ...

diclinous Plant reproductive morphology is the study of the physical form and structure (the morphology) of those parts of plants directly or indirectly concerned with sexual reproduction. Among all living organisms, flowers, which are the reproductive s ...

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s with palmately lobed leaves and

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s in axillary clusters. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a smooth, globular

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

. ''Bryonia'' is used as a food plant by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

(

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

and

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s), including the

tortrix moth The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genus ...

Phtheochroa rugosana ''Phtheochroa rugosana'' is a small moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in western Europe (Iberian Peninsula, France and the British Isles) east to the Benelux, Switzerland and Italy, and further across the Balkans and Hungary to Asia M ...

'' (recorded on red bryony, ''B. dioica'') and the

cabbage moth The cabbage moth (''Mamestra brassicae'') is primarily known as a pest that is responsible for severe crop damage of a wide variety of plant species. The common name, cabbage moth, is a misnomer as the species feeds on many fruits, vegetables, ...

(''Mamestra brassicae''). The horticultural value contributes to formation of pest and crop damage by the food plant consumption.

Use by humans

Bryonies are occasionally grown in gardens, sometimes accidentally, sometimes deliberately so. Some species find use in

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remed ...

. Generally however, these plants are

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

ous, some highly so, and may be fatal if ingested.

Cucurbitacin Cucurbitacin is a class of biochemical compounds that some plants – notably members of the pumpkin and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae – produce and which function as a defence against herbivores. Cucurbitacins are chemically classified as t ...

glycosides are primarily responsible for the plants' bitterness and emetic effects. Variants of the plants' name, such as Briony, Bryonie and Bryony, are used in some cultures as female

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

s. They were quite popular in the 18th century. The

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

of the United Kingdom named two ships HMS ''Bryony'' after the plant.

Species

Twelve

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

are currently accepted by the USDA: Ten of these are supported in a molecular-phylogenetic analysis:Volz and Renner (2009) The only

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

species, '' B. dioica'' (white bryony), grows in

hedgerow A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced shrubs and sometimes trees, planted and trained to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area, such as between neighbouring properties. Hedges that are used to separate a road from adjoini ...

s as far north as

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. * ''

Bryonia acuta ''Bryonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the gourd family. Bryony is its best-known common name. They are native to western Eurasia and adjacent regions, such as North Africa, the Canary Islands and South Asia. Description and ecology ...

'' Desf. (formerly sometimes included in ''B. cretica'') * ''

Bryonia alba ''Bryonia alba'' (also known as white bryony or wild hop) is a vigorous vine in the family Cucurbitaceae, found in Europe and Northern Iran. It has a growth habit similar to kudzu, which gives it a highly destructive potential outside its nativ ...

'' L. – white bryony * ''

Bryonia aspera ''Bryonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the gourd family. Bryony is its best-known common name. They are native to western Eurasia and adjacent regions, such as North Africa, the Canary Islands and South Asia. Description and ecology ...

'' Steven ex Ledeb. * '' Bryonia cretica'' L. – Cretan bryony * '' Bryonia dioica'' Jacq. – white or red bryony (formerly sometimes included in ''B. cretica'') * '' Bryonia lappifolia'' Vassilcz. * '' Bryonia marmorata'' E.M.A.Petit * '' Bryonia melanocarpa'' Nabiev * '' Bryonia monoica'' Aitch. & Hemsl. * '' Bryonia multiflora'' Boiss. & Heldr. * ''

Bryonia syriaca ''Bryonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the gourd family. Bryony is its best-known common name. They are native to western Eurasia and adjacent regions, such as North Africa, the Canary Islands and South Asia. Description and ecology ...

'' Boiss. * ''

Bryonia verrucosa ''Bryonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the gourd family. Bryony is its best-known common name. They are native to western Eurasia and adjacent regions, such as North Africa, the Canary Islands and South Asia. Description and ecology B ...

'' Aiton

Bryonieae - Zaunrübe IMG 20170712 185924231

Formerly placed here

* Many species of ''

Cayaponia ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' ("American bryonies") * Several species of ''

Cucumis __NOTOC__ ''Cucumis'' is a genus of twining, tendril-bearing plants in the family Cucurbitaceae which includes the cucumber (''Cucumis sativus''), muskmelons (''Cucumis melo'', including cantaloupe and honeydew), the horned melon ('' Cucumis ...

'', '' Solena'' and ''

Zehneria ''Zehneria'' is a genus of flowering plants – of vines in the cucumber and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It contains about 35 species ranging from Africa, through Southeast Asia to Australia and Oceania. The name honours botanical artist Jos ...

'' * '' Coccinia abyssinica'' * '' Corallocarpus epigaeus'' * ''

Diplocyclos palmatus ''Diplocyclos palmatus'' is a vine in the family Cucurbitaceae. It is commonly known as native bryony or striped cucumber. In Marathi, it is called due to its seed which resembles a lingam. Distribution The plant is a rich source of medicinal ...

'' * ''

Kedrostis africana ''Kedrostis africana'' (or baboon's cucumber) is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae. It is native to Namibia and South Africa. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit as an ornamental. Desc ...

'' * '' Melothria pendula'' (as ''B. guadalupensis'') * ''

Trichosanthes ovigera ''Trichosanthes pilosa'' is a tropical or semitropical vine bearing an edible fruit. It is native to Japan, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Xizang (Tibet), Zhejiang) ...

'' (as ''B. cucumeroides'')

Footnotes

References

* (2009): Siren SOS Germplasm Resources Information Network &ndash
''Bryonia''
Version of 2009-MAY-15. Retrieved 2010-APR-15. * 2009. Phylogeography of the ancient Eurasian medicinal plant genus ''Bryonia'' (Cucurbitaceae) inferred from nuclear and chloroplast sequences. Taxon 58(2): 550-560. * Dioscorides's ''Bruonia melaina'' is ''Bryonia alba'', not ''Tamus communis'', and an illustration labeled ''Bruonia melaina'' in the Codex Vindobonensis is ''Humulus lupulus'' not ''Bryonia dioica''. pp. 273–280. In: Pitrat, M., ed., Cucurbitaceae 2008, https://w3.avignon.inra.fr/dspace/handle/2174/218

External links

- Note: This is a historical document from the 1930s and may not be medically accurate today.

Flowers in Israel {{Taxonbar, from=Q149006 Cucurbitoideae Cucurbitaceae genera Medicinal plants Dioecious plants Poisonous plants