Cyphostemma mappia Seeds | Mappia Vine

Mappia with a stout pale trunk and large divided leaves in dry forest — Mappia Vine (*Cyphostemma mappia*): Vitaceae, remnant native forest of Mauritius.

LATIN NAME: Cyphostemma mappia

COMMON NAME: Mappia Vine

Plant Profile

Cyphostemma mappia is a Mauritian relative of the tree grape, with a thick bottle-shaped trunk and a crown of coarse, divided leaves. It is endemic to Mauritius, where it survives in a handful of remnant native forest sites on the central plateau and in the Black River gorges, in ground that is now mostly occupied by introduced plants. The trunk is stout, smooth and pale, storing water in the same way as its Namibian cousin, and it branches into a few thick limbs that carry large, toothed leaflets. The plant is deciduous, and in the dry season it stands as a bare, sculptural stem. Greenish flowers appear with the new leaves, followed by fleshy fruits that turn dark as they ripen. It is one of the few caudiciform plants endemic to an oceanic island, and its wild population is small enough to be counted.

Science & Biotechnology

Cyphostemma mappia is a caudiciform vine of the grape family that has lost the climbing habit, and its swollen trunk is a water store that lets it survive the dry months on thin volcanic soil. The species is dioecious or polygamous depending on the population, and fruit set in cultivation is often poor because a single plant may carry flowers of one sex only. Its native habitat is the dry, windward forest of Mauritius, a community that has been reduced to fragments by clearance, by cyclones and by introduced deer, pigs and macaques that eat seedlings. The plant is slow growing and long lived, and individuals in the wild are thought to be very old. Its seed is dispersed by fruit-eating birds, but few seedlings survive where rats and deer are present. The species is listed as threatened in Mauritius, and ex situ collections in botanic gardens now hold much of the accessible genetic material.

Uses & Benefits

The plant is grown by succulent collectors and by botanic gardens as an example of island endemism, and it is one of the rarer Cyphostemma in cultivation. It makes a large, slow specimen for a frost-free garden or a big container, with a trunk that becomes more characterful each year. In Mauritius it has no significant timber or food use, and the fruit is not eaten. Its value is conservation: the species is a flagship for the remaining dry forest of the island, and plants in collections serve as a genetic backup. It is also used in school and university teaching about island biology and the vulnerability of endemic plants. Anyone growing it should keep records of provenance, since the wild population is too small to supply seed for horticulture.

Growing from Seed

Sow fresh seed in spring at 25 to 28 degrees in a gritty mix, covering it lightly; germination is slow and uneven, and some seed will wait a year. Keep the seedlings in bright light and water sparingly, since damping off is the main risk. The caudex swells from the second season, and the plant should be grown in a mix of at least half grit and repotted only when necessary. Water freely in summer while the plant is in leaf, then stop entirely once the leaves yellow. Keep it frost-free and dry through winter, with a minimum of about ten degrees. Feed lightly once a year. Because plants may be single-sexed, grow several seedlings if fruit is wanted, and hand-pollinate if they flower indoors.

Our Take

A rare Mauritian caudiciform with a pale bottle trunk and a future that depends on gardens. Slow, dry and frost-free.

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