Summary ⁴

Cocculus carolinus, (also Carolina Coralbead, Redberry Moonseed, Carolina snailseed, Carolina Moonseed) is a perennial vine of the genus Cocculus. It is indigenous to several states in the United States along the south to midwest. It gets its name from the bright red color of the marble-like berry that protrudes from the leaves of the plant. The plant can be very invasive and difficult to control.

Comments ⁵

Cocculus carolinus was used by some Native American tribes medicinally to treat blood ailments (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Description ⁶

Vines , to 5 m or more; rhizomes to 1.4 cm diam. Stems with spreading pubescence. Leaves: petiole to 10 cm. Leaf blade generally ovate or deltate, sometimes sagittate or hastate, to 17 × 14 cm, membranous to leathery, base sometimes with 3-5 lobes, margins usually entire, apex acuminate to rounded, then often retuse, mucronate; surfaces abaxially slightly pale, rarely glaucous, sparsely to densely pilose, adaxially glabrous to sparsely pilose; venation 5. Inflorescences to 22 cm; bracteoles often present; rachis glabrous or tomentose, not glaucous. Flowers: perianth parts not glaucous; sepals in 3 series, outer sepals 0-3, ovate, 0.3-1.4 × 0.2-0.8 mm, pilose, middle 3 sepals ovate to elliptic or obovate, 1-3 × 0.6-2 mm, glabrous to pilose, inner 3 sepals elliptic to nearly orbiculate or obovate, 0.8-3 × 0.8-2 mm, glabrous to sparsely pilose; petals (5-)6, yellow, elliptic, deltate, rhombic, obovate, or nearly orbiculate, 0.6-2 × 0.4-1.4 mm, glabrous. Staminate flowers: stamens (5-)6, to 2.2 mm; pistillodes to 0.5 mm. Pistillate flowers: staminodes to 0.8 mm; pistils to 2 mm. Drupes red, 5-8 mm diam. 2 n = 78.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) CameliaTWU (off for a while), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/cameliatwu/3847507000/
2. (c) CameliaTWU, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/cameliatwu/3995723021/
3. (c) CameliaTWU, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/cameliatwu/3976389526/
4. Adapted by Jonathan (JC) Carpenter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocculus_carolinus
5. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/19823362
6. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/5007311

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

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