绞股蓝属植物的分类系统和分布

绞股蓝属全世界有16种2变种，隶属于2亚属2组，即喙果藤亚属(包括五柱绞股蓝组和喙果藤组)及绞股蓝亚属。其现代分布中心或多样化中心为我国长江流域至西南的云南，由此向北达秦岭南坡和淮河流域以南，向东北经华中、华东至朝鲜半岛和日本北部，向南经中南半岛、马来西亚达菲律宾、印度尼西亚诸岛和巴布亚新几内亚，向西达印度西北部，为热带亚洲分布类型。根据该属的原始类群和进化类型的现代分布和多样化中心及它们的生态适应性，与古地质、古地理和古气候的变迁以及外类群起源地等推测，绞股蓝属植物可能与其近缘属——雪胆属和锥形果属共同起源于康滇古陆，起源时间可能为早第三纪。

A CLASSIFICATORY SYSTEM AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE GENUS GYNOSTEMMA BL.(CUCURBITACEAE)

The genus Gynostemma consists of 16 species and 2 varieties, which fall into two subgenera and two sections, i. e. , Subgen. Trirostellum including two new sections, Sect. Pentagynae and Sect. Trirostellae, and Subgen. Gynostemma, The modern distribution centre of the genus ranges from drainage areas of the Yangtze River to Yunnan, southwest China. Northwards, it is distributed to the south slope of the Qinling Range and the south branch of the Huaihe River, eastwards through central-eastern China to Korea Peninsula and northern Japan; in the south, it extends to Indo-China, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, with the west limit of this genus found in northwestern India. The distribution pattern of the genus indicates a nature of Tropical Asia Type. Based on the above mentioned distribution pattern, the centre of diversification and the ecological adaptation of both primitive and advanced groups, also by means of palaeogeological, palaeogeo-graphical and palaeoclimatical evidence and the origin of its out group, the genus Gynostemma, together with its closely allied genera Hemsleya, Gomphogyne, etc. is considered to have originated on the Kham-Dian Oldland during the Early Tertiary.