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The "Sankaku-zuru" (Vitis flexuosa) belongs to Vitaceae (the Grape family). It is a deciduous woody vine that is distributed from Honshu to Shikoku, Kyushu in Japan, as well as Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and China. This vine grows in montane outskirts of forest and climbs up adjacent shrubs and trees. The leaves are triangle to ovate-triangle, alternate with shallow odontophyllus edges. It is dioecious. The panicles are borne opposite the leaves and bloom small pale yellowish green flowers from May to June. The fruits are edible berries and ripen black. When the vines are cut, a slightly sweet sap exudes, so it is also known as "Gyoja no Mizu". In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "光葉葡萄", and "葛藟葡萄" (ge lei pu tao) in Chinese.
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