Vines and Climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Gouania polygama (Jacq.) Urb., Symb. Antill. 4: 378. 1910.

Fig. 144. I-N

Basionym: Rhamnus polygamus Jacq.

Synonym: Gouania tomentosa Jacq.

Woody vine that climbs by means of tendrils and attains 8-15 m in length. Stems grayish, attaining 3 cm in diameter. Branches green, ferruginous-tomentose, slightly striate; tendrils simple, semicircular, basal to the inflorescences or distal on short lateral branches. Leaves alternate, 5-15 × 3.2-7.5 cm, broadly elliptical, oblong, or ovate, chartaceous, the apex obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate, the base subcordiform or rounded, the margins serrate; upper surface dark green, slightly shiny, pubescent; lower surface pale green, dull, pilose, with prominent venation; petioles 1-1.5 cm long, pubescent. Inflorescences of axillary or terminal racemes, 10-22 cm long. Calyx 1.5-2 mm long, cupuliform, whitish, tomentose, the sepals ovate, 0.7-1 mm long; petals whitish, ca. 1 mm long, spathulate, enclosing the stamens; stamens as long as the petals; disc almost pentagonal, fleshy; styles 3. Fruit a three-winged schizocarp, 8-12 mm long, dehiscent into 3 indehiscent mericarps, trigonal, with a wing on each side of the seminiferous center. Seeds ovate, light brown, shiny, ca. 3 mm long.

Phenology: Collected in flower from October to November and in fruit from December to January.

Status: Native, locally common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 7139; 7811; Sargent, F.H. s.n.; 351; Sintenis, P. 36; 3566; 5577.
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Ficus pumila L., Sp. Pl. 1060. 1753.

Fig. 127. D-L

Plant with the juvenile phase morphologically different from the adult phase. Juvenile plant attaining several meters in length, much branched, climbing by means of adventitious roots; stems flattened; leaves 1.5-2.5 cm long, ovate to oblong, retuse at the apex, very closely spaced. Adult plant developing into a much branched liana, with adventitious roots, attainig 10 m in length and produces abundant white latex when wounded. Stems flattened, striate, tomentose, glabrescent when mature, with short pendulous branches. Leaves alternate, simple, 4-7 × 2.2-4 cm, oblong, oblanceolate, ovate, or elliptical, the apex obtuse, the base subcordiform, the margins entire; upper surface dark green, slightly shiny, with the venation notably lighter; lower surface light green, dull, with prominent reticulate venation; petioles 1.3-1.6 cm long, flattened on the upper surface, pubescent, light brown; stipules oblong-lanceolate to subulate, persistent, 1-1.2 cm long, brown, sericeous. Syconium green, pyriform, up to 6 cm long, soft. Apparently not forming seeds in Puerto Rico.

Phenology: Collected in ‘flower’ during February.

Status: Exotic, ornamental, common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 9336; 9459.
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Celtis iguanaea (Jacq.) Sarg., Silva 7: 64. 1895.

Fig. 157. A-G

Basionym: Rhamnus iguanaeus Jacq.

Synonyms: Momisia iguanaea (Jacq.) Rose & Standl.

Celtis aculeata Sw.

Scandent shrub or liana that climbs by means of short lateral branches with recurved spines, attainig 3-10(20) m in length. Stems glabrous or puberulent at the extremities, cylindrical, attaining 8 cm in diameter; bark grayish or light brown, with numerous lenticels. Leaves alternate, 4-15 × 2.5-8.7 cm, chartaceous, ovate, oblong, or sometimes obovate, the apex short-acuminate or sometimes obtuse, the base rounded, cordiform, or truncate, the margins entire, crenate, or sparsely serrate; upper surface yellowish green, dull, glabrous or puberulent, punctate, with three main veins, sunken; lower surface yellowish green, dull, glabrous, the venation prominent, with small tufts of hairs in the axils of the secondary veins; petioles 2-15 mm long. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, the staminate flowers in branched axillary cymes, the pistillate or bisexual flowers in simple axillary cymes. Calyx of discrete sepals, oblong, concave, ciliate, 1-2 mm long; stamens 5, ascendent; ovary ovoid, with two pubescent styles. Drupe fleshy, ovoid or almost globose, 6-10(14) mm long, orange, with persistent styles.

Phenology: Flowering from February to May and fruiting from May to September.

Status: Native, uncommon.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 635; 2021; 2361; 2691; 3237; 3815; 5150; 6980; 7237.
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Gouania lupuloides (L.) Urb., Symb. Antill. 4: 378. 1910.

Fig. 144. A-H

Basionym: Banisteria lupuloides L.

Synonym: Rhamnus domingensis Jacq.

Gouania domingensis (Jacq.) L.

Woody vine that climbs by means of tendrils and attains 7-12 m in length. Stems with many lateral branches; bark grayish, fissured. Branches cylindrical, green, glabrous or puberulent; tendrils simple, semicircular in form, basal to the inflorescences or terminal on short lateral branches. Leaves alternate, 4.5-7.5(10.5) × 2-4(6.5) cm, chartaceous, ovate or elliptical, glabrous or puberulent, the apex acute or short-acuminate, the base rounded or subcordiform, the margins serrate; upper surface dark green, shiny, with the venation sunken; lower surface pale green, slightly shiny, with prominent venation; petioles 0.5-1.5 cm; stipules 2-3 mm long. Inflorescences of racemes, terminal or on short axillary branches, 5-10 cm long, pubescent. Calyx pubescent outside, the sepals ca. 1 mm long, triangular, glabrous on the inner surface; petals yellowish, ca. 1 mm long, forming a hood that covers the stamen; stamens slightly shorter than the petals; disc ca. 1 mm high. Fruit a threewinged schizocarp, 5-7 mm long, dehiscent into 3 trigonal mericarps. Seeds 3-4 mm long.

Phenology: Flowering from August to March and fruiting from November to March.

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 2295; 3812; 7011; 7087; Goll, G.P. 230; 386; 582; Heller, A.A. 6104; Liogier, A.H. 10346; Shafer, J.A. 2356; 2860; Sintenis, P. 200; 1261; 1960; 2924; 5508; 5550; Stevenson, J.A. 385; 697.
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Ficus citrifolia Miller, Gard. Dict. ed. 8. 1768.

Fig. 127. A-C

Terrestrial or strangling (epiphytic) tree attainig 10 m in height, or less frequently a liana attainig 10 m in length, producing abundant milky latex. When it grows as a liana its branches are pendulous or scandent, the stems cylindrical, attaining 10 cm in diameter. Leaves alternate, 4-20 × 2-12 cm, elliptical, ovate, elliptic-lanceolate, or less frequently oblanceolate, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, glabrous, the apex obtuse or acuminate, the base obtuse, cordiform, or truncate, the margins entire; upper surface with slightly prominent venation; lower surface with the reticulate venation prominent; petioles 1-7 cm long, glabrous, canaliculate; stipules conical, glabrous, with a reddish tinge. Syconium globose, depressed-globose, or obovoid, 6-12 mm long, greenish yellow, with reddish spots, turning red when ripe; peduncles 4-8 mm long.

Phenology: Collected in fertile condition during August.

Status: Native, rather common.

Commentary: The lianescent form of this species grows on the tops and sides of mogotes and produces long stems that hang down and reach the base of the mogotes. Once the stems have reached the base of the mogotes, they become creeping or scandent. It is possible that this growth form results from the etiolation of the stems due to the low light intensity, and that it does not constitute a fixed characteristic for this species. Nevertheless, this phenomenon has been observed rather frequently, which justifies the inclusion of this species in the present work.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 10635.
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