Ripogonum scandens

Ripogonum scandens, commonly known as supplejack and kareao, is a species of climbing forest vine in the family Ripogonaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand. Its range mainly covers the North and South Islands, it also occurs on some offshore islands. Red globe-shaped fruits, which hang from the oppositely arranged leaves, are eaten and dispersed by birds. These fruits are edible, and so are the newly formed shoots at the end of the vines. The species was first described by Johann Reinhold Forster and Georg Forster in 1776. The genus Ripogonum (alternatively spelled Rhipogonum), was originally considered to be part of the family Smilacaceae or Liliaceae, but in 1985 was reclassified as the sole genus in the family Ripogonaceae. R. scandens was valued by Māori and European settlers, primarily for the stems that were valued for their length, strength, and flexibility. In 2023, the conservation status was assessed as "Not Threatened" in the New Zealand Threat Classification System. ...read more on Wikipedia.