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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Staff vine
| image = Celastrus scandens.jpg
| image_width = 270px
| image_caption = ''Celastrus scandens''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Celastrales]]
| familia = [[Celastraceae]]
| genus = ''Celastrus''
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
About 30, including:<br/>
''Celastrus angulatus'' - [[Chinese Staff Vine]]<br/>
''Celastrus australis'' - [[Australian Staff Vine]]<br/>
''Celastrus dispermus'' - [[Orange Boxwood]]<br/>
''Celastrus paniculatus'' - [[Celastrus paniculatus|Peng]]<br>
''Celastrus pyracanthus'' - [[South African Staff Vine]]<br/>
''Celastrus orbiculatus'' - [[Oriental Staff Vine]]<br/>
''Celastrus scandens'' - [[American Staff Vine]]<br/>
}}
The '''staff vines''', also known as '''staff trees''' or '''bittersweet''', genus '''''Celastrus''''', comprise about 30 species of [[shrub]]s and [[vine]]s. They have a wide distribution in eastern [[Asia]], [[Australasia]], [[Africa]] and [[the Americas]].
[[Image:Celastrus orbiculatus.jpg|left|thumb|''Celastrus orbiculatus'']]
The leaves are alternate and simple ovoid, typically 5-20 cm long. The flowers are small, white, pink or greenish, and borne in long panicles; the fruit is a red three-valved berry. The fruit are eaten by frugivorous [[bird]]s, which disperse the seeds in their droppings. All parts of the plants are [[poisonous]] to [[human]]s if eaten.
In [[North America]], they are known as '''bittersweet''', presumably a result of confusion with the unrelated [[Solanum dulcamara|Bittersweet]] (''Solanum dulcamara'') by early colonists. ''C. orbiculatus'' is a serious [[invasive species|invasive]] [[weed]] in much of eastern North America.
{{rosid-stub}}
[[Category:Celastraceae]]
[[Category:Poisonous plants]]
| color = lightgreen
| name = Staff vine
| image = Celastrus scandens.jpg
| image_width = 270px
| image_caption = ''Celastrus scandens''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Celastrales]]
| familia = [[Celastraceae]]
| genus = ''Celastrus''
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
About 30, including:<br/>
''Celastrus angulatus'' - [[Chinese Staff Vine]]<br/>
''Celastrus australis'' - [[Australian Staff Vine]]<br/>
''Celastrus dispermus'' - [[Orange Boxwood]]<br/>
''Celastrus paniculatus'' - [[Celastrus paniculatus|Peng]]<br>
''Celastrus pyracanthus'' - [[South African Staff Vine]]<br/>
''Celastrus orbiculatus'' - [[Oriental Staff Vine]]<br/>
''Celastrus scandens'' - [[American Staff Vine]]<br/>
}}
The '''staff vines''', also known as '''staff trees''' or '''bittersweet''', genus '''''Celastrus''''', comprise about 30 species of [[shrub]]s and [[vine]]s. They have a wide distribution in eastern [[Asia]], [[Australasia]], [[Africa]] and [[the Americas]].
[[Image:Celastrus orbiculatus.jpg|left|thumb|''Celastrus orbiculatus'']]
The leaves are alternate and simple ovoid, typically 5-20 cm long. The flowers are small, white, pink or greenish, and borne in long panicles; the fruit is a red three-valved berry. The fruit are eaten by frugivorous [[bird]]s, which disperse the seeds in their droppings. All parts of the plants are [[poisonous]] to [[human]]s if eaten.
In [[North America]], they are known as '''bittersweet''', presumably a result of confusion with the unrelated [[Solanum dulcamara|Bittersweet]] (''Solanum dulcamara'') by early colonists. ''C. orbiculatus'' is a serious [[invasive species|invasive]] [[weed]] in much of eastern North America.
{{rosid-stub}}
[[Category:Celastraceae]]
[[Category:Poisonous plants]]