Menispermaceae
An order of trailing (rarely erect) shrubs, broadly dispersed through most tropical regions. It belongs to Lindley's menispermal alliance of diclinous exogens. Flowers dioecious, small, in a panicle, raceme, or cyme, rarely solitary, sometimes accompanied by cordate bracts. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, usually palminerved, entire or palmilobed or peltate, rarely compound (as in Burasaia); petiole spuriously jointed at the base, and sometimes at the top. The bark of several species of this family is extremely bitter; some yield a yellow dye. Beer is sometimes adulterated in England with Cocculus indicus. There are about thirty-one genera and 300 species. Examples are: Cissampelos, Cocculus, and Menispermum.