The genus Cayratia consists of species of vine plants, typical of the tribe Cayratieae. Some of them are useful, and they are found in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Africa, Australia, and islands of the Pacific Ocean. Within the Vitaceae, Cayratia is most closely related to Tetrastigma and Cyphostemma. As previously configured, the genus Cayratia was found not be monophyletic (for example, C. japonica was moved to Causonis being distinct from Cayratia pedata, the type species).