Stephania japonica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snake vine |
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| Snake vine at Palm Beach, Australia | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Menispermaceae |
| Genus: | Stephania |
| Species: |
S. japonica
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| Binomial name | |
| Stephania japonica (Thunb.) Miers
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| Synonyms | |
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Stephania japonica, also known as snake vine, is a climbing plant. You often see this vine growing in sheltered spots, especially near the sea.
Meet the Snake Vine!
The snake vine is a plant that climbs without any thorns. It has separate male and female plants. Small, greenish flowers grow in clusters, like tiny umbrellas. You'll find these clusters where the leaves meet the stem during warmer months.
These flower clusters are usually about 4 to 8 centimeters long. The fruit is a small, oval-shaped berry. It can be orange or red and is only about 2 to 5 millimeters long. A cool thing about its leaves is how the stem attaches. It connects to the middle of the leaf, not the edge. This special type of leaf is called a 'peltate' leaf.
Where Does it Grow?
This vine grows in many places. In Australia, you can find it from southern Eden in New South Wales all the way up through Queensland.
You can also find the snake vine in countries like Japan, India, and Nepal. It grows in many other parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands too. The very first plant studied by scientists came from Japan. That's why its scientific name includes "japonica"!
In New South Wales, there's a special kind of snake vine. It's known as bicolor. This is because the underside of its leaves is much lighter than the top.
What is it Used For?
In Indonesia, people use the leaves of this plant. They make a yummy, edible green jelly from them. This jelly is often called "grass jelly"!
 | Leon Lynch |
 | Milton P. Webster |
 | Ferdinand Smith |
