Ampelopsis, commonly known as peppervine or porcelainberry, The genus was named in 1803. It is disjunctly distributed in eastern Asia and eastern North America extending to Mexico. Ampelopsis is primarily found in mountainous regions in temperate zones with some species in montane forests at mid-altitudes in subtropical to tropical regions. Ampelopsis glandulosa is a popular garden plant and an invasive weed.

Species

thumb|right|Ampelopsis heterophylla var. vestita

Plants of the World Online currently includes:

  1. Ampelopsis aconitifolia <small>Bunge</small>
  2. Ampelopsis acutidentata <small>W.T.Wang</small>
  3. Ampelopsis bodinieri <small>(H.Lév. & Vaniot) Rehder</small>
  4. Ampelopsis chondisensis <small>(Vassilcz. & V.N.Vassil.) Tulyag.</small>
  5. Ampelopsis cordata <small>Michx.</small> – False grape, raccoon-grape, heart-leaf peppervine or heart-leaf ampelopsis
  6. Ampelopsis delavayana <small>Planch. ex Franch.</small>
  7. Ampelopsis denudata <small>Planch.</small>
  8. Ampelopsis glandulosa <small>(Wall.) Momiy.</small>
  9. Ampelopsis humulifolia <small>Bunge</small>
  10. Ampelopsis japonica <small>(Thunb.) Makino</small> – Japanese peppervine
  11. Ampelopsis mollifolia <small>W.T.Wang</small>
  12. Ampelopsis orientalis <small>(Lam.) Planch.</small>
  13. Ampelopsis tadshikistanica <small>Zaprjagaeva</small>
  14. Ampelopsis tomentosa <small>Planch. ex Franch.</small>
  15. Ampelopsis vitifolia <small>(Boiss.) Planch.</small>
  16. Ampelopsis wangii <small>I.M.Turner</small>

Moved to genus Nekemias

  • Ampelopsis arborea – Peppervine is now Nekemias arborea
  • Ampelopsis cantoniensis
  • Ampelopsis grossedentata

Ecology

Ampelopsis species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Bucculatrix quinquenotella and Sphecodina abbottii. Dihydromyricetin, which is an effective ingredient in supplements and other tonics, is extracted from the ampelopsin tree.

Fossil record

Fossil seeds from the early Miocene of Ampelopsis ludwigii and Ampelopsis rotundata, have been found in the Czech part of the Zittau Basin.

The fossil species Ampelopsis malvaeformis was rather common in northern Italy in the early and middle Pliocene but seems to disappear at the middle and late Pliocene boundary.

References