The native range of this scrambling shrub stretches from Afghanistan to central China, down to Java and Indo-China .

The fruit is 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) in diameter, densely grey tomentose, dark red at first, ripening black.

[4] It is called Chinese: 红泡刺藤 and Hindi: काला हिसालू, romanized: kala hinsalu in native and local languages.

[1] There are 2 known varieties;[1] It is native to southern Asia; from Afghanistan, east through India (Assam, East Himalaya, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and West Himalaya), and across to Tibet, southern and north central China and Taiwan.

[3][6][1] It has been introduced into various countries and regions including; south America (in Bolivia, southern Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago), United States (in the states of Florida and Hawaii), Africa (Ethiopia, Galápagos, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and South Africa (in the Cape Provinces, the Northern Provinces and Swaziland).