Celastrus, commonly known as staff vine, staff tree or bittersweet, is a genus of the family Celastraceae; it contains over 40 species of shrubs and vines, which have a wide distribution in East Asia, Australasia, Africa, and the Americas.[1]
| Staff vine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Celastrus scandens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Celastrales |
| Family: | Celastraceae |
| Genus: | Celastrus L.[1] |
| Type species | |
| Celastrus scandens L.[2] | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
editThe leaves are alternate and simple, ovoid, and typically 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) long. The flowers are small, white, pink or greenish, and borne in long panicles; the fruit is a three-valved berry.
In North America, they are known as bittersweet, presumably a result of confusion with the unrelated bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) by early colonists.[original research?] C. orbiculatus is a serious invasive weed in much of eastern North America.
Species
editAs of June 2026[update], Plants of the World Online accepts the following 44 species:
- Celastrus aculeatus Merr.
- Celastrus angulatus Maxim.
- Celastrus australis Harv. & F.Muell.
- Celastrus caseariifolius Lundell
- Celastrus cuneatus (Rehder & E.H.Wilson) C.Y.Cheng & T.C.Kao
- Celastrus flagellaris Rupr.
- Celastrus franchetianus Loes.
- Celastrus gemmatus Loes.
- Celastrus glaucophyllus Rehder & E.H.Wilson
- Celastrus grenadensis Urb.
- Celastrus hindsii Benth.
- Celastrus hirsutus H.F.Comber
- Celastrus homaliifolius P.S.Hsu
- Celastrus hookeri Prain
- Celastrus hypoleucoides P.L.Chiu
- Celastrus hypoleucus (Oliv.) Warb. ex Loes.
- Celastrus kusanoi Hayata
- Celastrus lenticellatus Lundell
- Celastrus madagascariensis Loes.
- Celastrus membranifolius Prain
- Celastrus microcarpus D.Don
- Celastrus monospermoides Loes.
- Celastrus monospermus Roxb.
- Celastrus novoguineensis Merr. & L.M.Perry
- Celastrus oblanceifolius Chen H.Wang & P.C.Tsoong
- Celastrus obovatifolius X.Y.Mu & Z.X.Zhang
- Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.
- Celastrus panamensis Lundell
- Celastrus paniculatus Willd.
- Celastrus pringlei Rose
- Celastrus punctatus Thunb.
- Celastrus richii A.Gray
- Celastrus rosthornianus Loes.
- Celastrus rugosus Rehder & E.H.Wilson
- Celastrus scandens L.
- Celastrus stephanotiifolius (Makino) Makino
- Celastrus stylosus Wall.
- Celastrus subspicatus Hook.
- Celastrus tonkinensis Pit.
- Celastrus vaniotii (H.Lév.) Rehder
- Celastrus virens (F.T.Wang & T.Tang) C.Y.Cheng & T.C.Kao
- Celastrus vulcanicola Donn.Sm.
- Celastrus yuloensis X.Y.Mu
- Celastrus zhejiangensis P.L.Chiu, G.Y.Li & Z.H.Chen
References
edit
- 1 2 3 "Celastrus L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "Celastrus L., Sp. Pl. 1: 196 (1753), nom. cons". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.