Diagnostic description ³

Metastelma decipiens Schltr. in Urb., Symb. Antill. 1: 249. 1899.

Fig. 30. E-H

Synonyms: Cynanchum decipiens (Schltr.) Alain, non C.K. Schneid.

Metastelma fallax Schltr.

Metastelma grisebachianum Schltr.

Cynanchum grisebachianum (Schltr.) Alain

Metastelma albiflorum Schltr.

Metastelma decaisneanum Schltr.

Cynanchum decaisneanum (Schltr.) Alain

Cynanchum cheesmanii Woodson

Herbaceous vine, twining, 3-6 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems green, cylindrical, puberulous, glabrous when mature, 1-2 mm in diameter, much branched, intertwining like a braid. Leaves perennial, opposite; 1-3(5) × 0.5-1.5(2.5) cm, oblong-ovate, ovate or lanceolate, chartaceous, the venation pinnate, the apex acute or obtuse and apiculate, the base rounded, subcordiform, or truncate, the margins entire, revolute, and usually ciliate; upper surface dull, the venation flat, with a pair of acicular glands at the union with the petiole; lower surface pale, usually punctate, with slightly prominent venation; petioles 0.2-1 cm long; stipules interpetiolar, deltoid, ca. 0.4 mm long. Flowers few, in sessile or short-pedunculate cymes; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long. Calyx crateriform, green, the sepals ovate, ca. 1 mm long, more or less ciliate; corolla campanulate, light green outside, white or cream-colored inside, ca. 2 mm long, the lobes oblong-lanceolate, ca. 1.5 mm long, puberulous in the interior and on the margins, usually strigose toward the center; corona white, with linear or linear-spathulate segments, ca. 1.5 mm long; gynostegium sessile (< 0.3 mm long), green in the stigmatic portion. Follicle fusiform, 3.5-5.5 cm long, glabrous; seeds numerous, with a long tuft of hairs at the apex.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Status: Native, quite common.

Commentary: Metastelma decipiens and M. fallax were described by Schlechter in 1899 in the same publication, as doubtfully different. These two entities cannot be maintained as different species, because the characters used to distinguish them overlap. For this reason, Britton and P. Wilson (1923) placed M. fallax in synonymy with M. decipiens. Since neither specific epithet was previously used in the genus Metastelma, the decision of Britton and P. Wilson, to apply the name M. decipiens to this taxon, should be maintained, obviously having priority over the decision of Liogier (1995) to place M. decipiens in synonymy under M. fallax. I have decided to place Metastelma grisebachianum Schltr. in synonymy under M. decipiens, because the characters used to separate the two species also overlap. These include the pubescence on the petals and the form of the corona segments, which in my view are not sufficient to distinguish two biological entities. In addition, the disjunction in the distribution of M. decipiens does not make biological sense, because it has only been cited for Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Tobago, being absent in the Lesser Antilles. By recognizing M. grisebachianum as a synonym of M. decipiens, the distribution of M. decipiens is expanded to include the Lesser Antilles.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 602; 900; 1815; 1836; 1941; 2324; 2620; 3106; 3908; 3961; 4144; 4201; 4258; 4659; 6973; 7083; 9297; 9486; 10944; 11024; 11076; 11223; 11296; 11855; Axelrod, F. 10519; Britton, N.L. 129; 647; 883; 6817; Heller, A.A. 4603; Liogier, A.H. 10219; 30185; Ostenfeld, C.H. 23; Sintenis, P. 1692; Rose, J.N. 3191.

Distribution ⁴

Distribution: Common in coastal thickets and in the zone of mogotes. Also on Culebra, Desecheo, Cayo Icacos, Cayo Lobos, Cayo Luis Peña, Vieques, St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, and Virgin Gorda; Cuba, Hispaniola, the Lesser Antilles, and Tobago.

Public forest: Boquerón, Ceiba, Guajataca, Maricao, Piñones, Río Abajo, and Tortuguero.

Sources and Credits

1. Jim Conrad, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Metastelma_schlechtendalii-flower.jpg
2. Jim Conrad, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Metastelma_schlechtendalii-leaves-flowers.jpg
3. (c) Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28435113
4. (c) Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28435684

More Info