The name Rhoicissus is derived from the Greek rhoia, meaning 'pomegranate' and kissos, 'ivy'. Perhaps not the most accurate of names: like ivy, it is a climber, but it has tendrils; and the small fruits, although spherical, do not seem very like that of a pomegranate. The Latin species name tomentosa means 'felt-like', with a dense woolly covering, and alludes to the rust-coloured hairs that cover the young growth, the underside of the leaves, buds and tendrils.

It has picked up an impressive number of common names, mostly regarding its resemblance to the cultivated grapevine, or its rope-like stems.

The grape family (Vitaceae) is large, with approximately 1000 species spread throughout the warm countries of the world and is famous for its most celebrated member, the grapevine, Vitis vinifera. In southern Africa this family is represented by five genera: Ampelocisssus, Cayratia, Cissus, Cypostemma and Rhoicissus, and 53 species.

In southern Africa, the genus Rhoicissus is represented by 10 species that occur in all the provinces of South Africa except the Northern Cape and all other southern African countries except Namibia and Botswana.

Rhoicissus tomentosa is relatively easy to tell apart from the others because it and only three of the other southern African species have simple or shallowly lobed leaves and it is the only canopy climber among them.

Of the other South African Rhoicissus, the only species with simple leaves are:

• R. laetans, the Blyde Grape, whose leaves are elliptic with an entire margin, hairless, and blue-green, with prominent net-veining on the underside. It is usually a small shrub and it is endemic to the Blydepoort area in Mpumalanga.
• R. kougabergensis, the Kouga Grape, has narrowly obovate leaves and reddish brown or transparent hairs. It is usually a spreading shrub and is endemic to the Kouga dam area in the Eastern Cape.
• R. microphylla has ovate to elliptic leaves, with the under-surface covered with reddish brown hairs. It is usually a small shrub and is found in the Queenstown-Cathcart area in the Eastern Cape.

All the other Rhoicissus species are distinctly 3- to 5-foliolate and can be distinguished by the presence or absence of marginal teeth. Those with toothed margins are R. sekhukhuniensis (Sekhukhune Grape), R. rhomboidea (Glossy Wild Grape), R. tridentata (Bushman's Grape) and R. sessifolia, and those whose margin is entire are R. revoilii (Bushveld Grape) and R. digitata (Baboon Grape).

Species with toothed margins:

• R. sekhukhuniensis, Sekhukhune Grape: margin is coarsely and bluntly toothed, densely fringed with hairs, the terminal leaflet is obovate with the base tapering and the lateral leaflets are smaller with an asymmetric base. It is usually a shrub up to 3 m high, occasionally climbing. It is endemic to Sekhukhuneland in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
• R. sessilifolia is usually a climber and is found in the coastal forests of KwaZulu-Natal.
• R. rhomboidea, Glossy Wild Grape, is a vigorous canopy climber, up to 20 m, occasionally a small tree 3-6 m tall, and is found in forest and forest margins and clearings in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Its leaves are 3-foliolate; each tooth is tipped with an approx. 1 mm long point, and the leaflet apex tapers to a point. The leaves are leathery, glossy dark green above with pale russet hairs underneath. The side leaflets are asymmetrical with short stalks (1-4 mm). All young parts are covered with short, soft, russet hairs. The fruits are edible, small (up to 10 mm diam.) roundish and dark red to purple and ripen in late summer-winter (February to June).
• R. tridentata, Bushman's Grape, is usually a scrambling shrub 1-3 m tall, up to 10 m, and grows in coastal dunes, coastal forest, forest margins and grassy hillsides in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Lesotho, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, Limpopo, North-West, Gauteng, Mozambique and into tropical Africa and Yemen. Its leaf size is very variable, is 3-foliolate and the side leaflets are usually symmetrical, with short stalks or none. Each tooth is tipped with an approx. 0.5 mm long point and the leaflet apex is square to rounded. The leaves are leathery, shiny dark green above and paler underneath with or without velvety hairs on the veins. The fruits are roundish, about 18 mm in diameter and ripen in late summer-winter (February to June).

The species with entire margins can be told apart by R. revoilii being 3-foliolate and the leaflet apex mostly tapering to a point, whereas R. digitata has some 5-foliolate leaves, although most are 3-foliolate and the leaflet apex is tapering to rounded and is usually notched. Further, each leaflet of R. revoilii has an approx. 20 mm long stalk whereas those of R. digitata do not, and the base of the lateral leaflets of R. revoilii are often markedly asymmetric and tendrils are seldom present but are frequently present on R. digitata.

Species with entire margins:

• R. digitata, Baboon Grape, is a woody climber up to 15 m, occasionally a small, bushy tree 3 to 4 m tall, that is found in grassland, bush, on forest margins and on coastal dunes and dry sand forest in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Swaziland and Mozambique. The leaflets have very short stalks, the middle leaflet is the longest, they are smooth dark green above and covered with fine russet hairs underneath, and the margin is entire. New leaves are conspicuously rust-coloured. Fruits are purplish black, small, roundish, approx. 15 mm diam. berries, that ripen in late autumn-winter (March to July).

• R. revoilii is a scrambling shrub or a small tree up to 7 m, occurring in mixed woodland and on rocky hills and koppies from sea level to 2 000 m in Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal. It is very like R. digitata but differs in that it never has 5-foliolate leaves and each leaflet has a stalk up to 20 mm long. The fruit is a black, approx. 15 mm in diameter, fleshy berry, often with a warty or scabby surface, and ripens in winter-spring (June to Oct.).

At Kirstenbosch we have Rhoicissus tomentosa, R. rhomboidea and R. digitata growing in the garden.