A genus of climbing or trailing plants in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), native to Europe and western Asia, historically used in traditional medicine.
Bryonia comes directly from Greek 'bryon' (moss), possibly because the plant's appearance reminded early botanists of mossy growth. The genus name was formalized in Linnaean taxonomy. Despite its name's moss-related origin, bryonia is actually a flowering plant in the gourd family.
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