''Bryonia'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the gourd family. Bryony is its best-known common name. They are native to western

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

and adjacent regions, such as

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

, the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

and

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

Description and ecology

Bryonies are

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

, tendril-

climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts 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 for locom ...

, diclinous or

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s with palmately lobed leaves and

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s in axillary clusters. The

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

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 of berries in the cul ...

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

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

(

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

and

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

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 genu ...

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 Mi ...

'' (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 called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

. Generally however, these plants are

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. 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 figurati ...

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

Cucurbitacin Cucurbitacins are a class of biochemistry, biochemical compounds that some plants – notably members of the pumpkin and gourd family, Cucurbitaceae – produce and which function as a defense against herbivores. Cucurbitacins and their deriva ...

glycosides are primarily responsible for the plants' bitterness and emetic effects. Variants of the plants' name, such as 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 f ...

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

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

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

Species

Twelve

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

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: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

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

hedgerow A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced (3 feet or closer) 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 ...

s as far north as

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

. * '' Bryonia acuta'' 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'' Steven ex Ledeb. * '' Bryonia cretica'' L. – Cretan bryony * ''

Bryonia dioica ''Bryonia dioica'', known by the common names red bryony and white bryony, also English mandrake or ladies' seal, is a perennial climbing vine indigenous to Central and Southern Europe. It is a flowering plant in the cucumber family Cucurbitac ...

'' 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'' Boiss. * '' Bryonia verrucosa'' Aiton

Formerly placed here

* Many species of ''

Cayaponia ''Cayaponia'' is among the largest genera in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with 74 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 Afric ...

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

Cucumis __NOTOC__ ''Cucumis'' is a genus of vine, twining, tendril-bearing plants in the Family (biology), family Cucurbitaceae which includes the cucumber (''Cucumis sativus''), true melons (''Cucumis melo'', including cantaloupe and Honeydew (melon), ...

'', '' Solena'' and ''

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

'' * ''

Coccinia abyssinica ''Coccinia abyssinica'' is an Ethiopian species of ''Coccinia'' which was first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. The tuber is under its Oromo name anchote a well-known local crop, but also the leaves are eaten. Description Perennial, dioe ...

'' * '' 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 distributed in rainforests ...

'' * '' Kedrostis africana'' * '' Melothria pendula'' (as ''B. guadalupensis'') * '' Trichosanthes ovigera'' (as ''B. cucumeroides'')

Footnotes

References

* (2009):

Siren SOS Germplasm Resources Information Network Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology that lured sailors to their deaths. Places * Sir ...

&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