Vines and Climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Funastrum clausum (Jacq.) Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 13: 283. 1914.

Fig. 32. G-J

Basionym: Asclepias clausa Jacq.

Synonym: Sarcostemma clausum (Jacq.) Schult.

Herbaceous vine, twining, 4-5 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems cylindrical, glabrous, slender. Leaves opposite; blades 3-6 × 0.8-2 cm, elliptical or elliptic-lanceolate, the apex obtuse with a small, tapering point, the base obtuse or rounded, the margins entire; upper surface puberulous, with a prominent midvein, with a pair of triangular glands at the union with the petiole; lower surface pale green, dull, puberulous, with a prominent midvein; petioles 0.5-3 mm long, pubescent; stipules triangular, minute. Flowers numerous (10-20), arranged in umbelliform cymes; peduncle 4-12 cm long; pedicels 1-2 cm long, pubescent. Calyx green, the sepals triangular, pubescent on the outer surface, ca. 3 mm long; corolla rotate, white, pubescent outside, the lobes ovate, ca. 7 mm long; corona of oblongobovoid vescicles, white. Follicles cylindrical, 5-8 × 1 cm.

Phenology: Flowering from January to October and fruiting from November to January.

Status: Exotic, cultivated, although uncommon in the Virgin Islands.
less ↑

Pentalinon luteum (L.) Hansen & Wunderlin, Taxon 35: 167. 1986.

Fig. 19. G-J

Basionym: Vinca lutea L.

Synonym: Urechites lutea (L.) Britton

Babeiro amarillo, Wild allamanda

Woody vine, twining, much branched from the base, up to 5 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems smooth, cylindrical, pubescent when young, lenticellate; bark thin, copper-colored. Leaves opposite; blades 3-7 × 1.5-3.7 cm, elliptical or obovate, coriaceous, glabrous, the apex rounded and mucronate, the base rounded to obtuse, the margins entire, revolute; upper surface shiny with the midvein yellowish; lower surface dull, with a prominent midvein, puberulous; petioles ca. 5 mm long, cylindrical, pubescent. Flowers in axillary cymes, few-flowered; pedicels cylindrical, pubescent, 1.5-2 cm long. Calyx light green, pubescent, of five lanceolate sepals, ca. 12 mm long; corolla yellow, infundibuliform, ca. 3 cm long, with cardinal red lines inside, the limb 3 cm in diameter, with 5 rounded lobes. Follicles woody, linear, divaricate; seeds numerous, with long, silky hairs.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 368; 685; 686; 1835; 2833; 4292; 11298; Johnston, J.R. 821; Sargent, F.H. 723; Shafer, J.A. 2737; Sintenis, P. 1891; Stevenson, J.A. 6583.
less ↑

Cryptostegia grandiflora R. Br., Bot. Reg. tab. 435. 1820.

Fig. 25. E-H

Woody vine, twining, attaining 6 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems cylindrical, glabrous or pilose in the area of the nodes, dark brown, with numerous minute lenticels. Leaves opposite; blades 5-10 × 2-6.3 cm, elliptical to rounded, membranaceous, glabrous, the apex acute or obtuse, the base obtuse to rounded, decurrent on the petiole, without glands at the union with the petiole, the margins entire; venation pinnate, with 11-13 pairs of secondary veins; upper surface dull; lower surface pale, with obscure venation; petioles glabrous, 17-10 mm long; stipules interpetiolar and intrapetiolar. Flowers 6-9, arranged in dichasial cymes, pedunculate; bracts foliaceous, ovate, 1-1.2 cm long. Calyx green, campanulate, the sepals ovate, pubescent, 1-1.5 cm long; corolla infundibuliform, 5-7 cm long, violet, whitish inside, the tube ca. 2 cm long; corona with bifid, lanceolate lobes, ca. 1.5 cm long. Follicles 2, divergent, brown when mature, 10-15.4 cm long, boat-shaped (keeled), woody; seeds reddish brown, ovate-lanceolate, 3-4 mm long, with long, white, silky hairs.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Status: Exotic, uncommon, cultivated and naturalized.
less ↑

Allamanda cathartica L., Mant. 214. 1771.

Fig. 18. A-D

Shrub or woody vine, clambering or sometimes twining, much branched, 2-8 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems grayish, cylindrical, glabrous or puberulous. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4; blades 8-13 × 1.5-3.5 cm, oblong, elliptical or oblanceolate, coriaceous, the apex acuminate, the base acute, the margins undulate and revolute; upper surface glabrous, dark green, shiny, with a prominent midvein; lower surface yellowish green, with the midvein thickened, prominent, and puberulous; petioles 5-10 mm long; stipules transformed into 4 small intrapetiolar glands. Flowers in axillary cymes, few-flowered. Calyx greenish, of 5 lanceolate sepals, 12-18 mm long; corolla infundibuliform, yellow, the tube 7-9 cm long, the limb ca. 8 cm in diameter, with five rounded, revolute lobes. Capsules ellipsoid, with numerous spines on the outside, infrequent; seeds numerous, oval, compressed, 1.2-1.5 cm long, with a discolorous, wing-like margin.

Phenology: Flowering throughout the year and fruiting from April to May.

Status: Exotic, naturalized in Puerto Rico.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 9338; Britton, N.L. 1555; Fisher, M.J. 4; Goll, G.P. 389; 965; Sargent, F.H. 748; 3010; Shafer, J.A. 3013; Sintenis, P. 832; 2499; Stevenson, J.A. 1271.
less ↑

Oxypetalum cordifolium (Vent.) Schltr. in Urb., Symb. Antill. 1: 269. 1899.

Fig. 32 A-F

Basionym: Gothofreda cordifolia Vent.

Herbaceous vine, twining, attaining 4 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems cylindrical, pubescent, ca. 3 mm in diameter. Leaves opposite; blades 4-10 × 4-6 cm, ovate, pubescent, the apex acuminate or cuspidate, the base deeply cordiform, the margins entire; upper surface dull green, with 5 acicular glands at the union with the petiole; lower surface pale green, dull, with slightly prominent venation; petioles pubescent, slender, 2-3 cm long. Flowers few, arranged in umbelliform cymes; peduncle ca. 2 cm long; pedicels 1-1.5 cm long. Calyx crateriform, green, the sepals linear-lanceolate, subulate, pubescent on the outer surface, 3.5-4 mm long; corolla campanulate, yellowish or light green, pubescent outside, the tube ca. 4 mm long, the lobes linear-attenuate, 1.5-2 cm long; corona of cuneate-spathulate segments, fleshy, ca. 2.5 mm long; pollinia with an acicular appendage in the area where they connect to the translator arms; stigmatic branches ca. 5 mm long. Follicles fusiform, ca. 8 cm long.

Phenology: Collected in flower in May.

Status: Native, extremely rare.
less ↑

Rhabdadenia biflora (Jacq.) Müll. Arg. in Mart., Fl. Bras. 6(1): 175. 1860.

Fig. 20. G-K

Basionym: Echites biflora Jacq.

Synonym: Rhabdadenia paludosa (Vahl) Miers

Twining liana, glabrous, 7-10 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems green, cylindrical, smooth. Leaves opposite; blades 5-8 × 1.5-4.5 cm, elliptical, obovate, oblong, oblanceolate, and sometimes ovate, glabrous, the apex mucronate, obtuse, truncate, or sometimes retuse, the base obtuse or attenuate, the margins entire, slightly revolute; upper surface dull green; lower surface glaucous, with obscure venation; petioles 0.5-2 cm long; stipules not visible. Flowers in short axillary cymes. Calyx of oblong, mucronate sepals, 5-5.5 mm long, green; corolla infundibuliform, white, sometimes tinged with pink, with the center yellow inside, 4.5-5.7 cm long. Follicles linear, 6-10 cm long, parallel or slightly divaricate when mature; seeds numerous, linear, ca. 2.5 cm long, with a tuft of silky hairs at the apex.

Phenology: Flowering throughout the year and fruiting mostly from March to September.

Status: Native, common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Eggers, B. 1155; Sargent, F.H. b23; Sintenis, P. 935; Stevenson, J.A. 433.
less ↑

Metastelma anegadense Britton, Bot. Porto Rico. 6: 97. 1925.

Fig. 30. A-D

Synonym: Cynanchum anegadense (Britton) Alain

Herbaceous vine, twining, glabrous, attaining 1 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems with branches that intertwine like a braid; branches green, cylindrical, smooth, < 1 mm in diameter. Leaves perennial, opposite, usually clustered on short lateral branches; blades 1-3.5 × 0.2-0.8 cm, oblong to oblanceolate, coriaceous, the apex rounded to apiculate, the base acute, the margins entire, revolute; upper surface dull, with the midvein sunken, without glands at the union with the petiole; lower surface pale, with a prominent midvein, the secondary veins not visible; petioles 2-3 mm long; stipules interpetiolar, triangular, 0.5 mm long. Flowers few, in sessile cymes. Calyx green, crateriform, the sepals ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1 mm long; corolla yellowish, the lobes lanceolate, acuminate, 2-4 mm long, puberulous toward the apex, strigose in the center on the inner surface; corona with spiniform lobes, ca. 0.5 mm long; gynostegium short-stipitate, ca. 0.7 mm long. Follicles fusiform, 4-5 cm long, glabrous; seeds numerous, light brown, ca. 4 mm long, elliptical, with a tuft of long hairs at the apex.

Phenology: Collected in flower in January, February, and July and in fruit in June.

Status: Endemic to Anegada and Tortola, uncommon.

Commentary: This species was cited by Woodbury et al. (1977) and by Liogier and Martorell (1982) for Mona Island based on the erroneous identification of Metastelma monense.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 10964; 11054. DArcy, W.G. 4809.
less ↑

Chiococca alba (L.) Hitchc., Rep. Missouri Bot. Gard. 4: 94. 1893.

Fig. 146. A-H

Basionym: Lonicera alba L

Synonyms: Chiococca racemosa L.

Chiococca parvifolia Griseb.

Chiococca alba (L.) Hitchc. var. parvifolia (Griseb.) Urb.

Chiococca alba (L.) Hitchc. ssp. parvifolia (Griseb.) Steyerm.

Woody vine or shrub, twining, attainig 3-10 m in length. Stems sulcate, with numerous opposite lateral branches; cross section of the mature stem with several cortical vascular bundles. Leaves opposite, coriaceous, elliptical, lanceolate, ovate, or oblong, 3-8 × 1-3.5 cm, the apex obtuse, acute, or acuminate, the base obtuse or acute, the margins entire, revolute; upper surface dark green, dull; lower surface light green, dull, with the midvein prominent; petioles 4-7 mm long, glabrous or puberulent; stipules ca. 2 mm long, acicular. Flowers bisexual or pistillate, in axillary racemes, 2-5 cm long; pedicels 3.5-5 mm long. Hypanthium green, glabrous, laterally flattened, ca. 2 mm long, crowned by a crateriform calyx, 1-1.2 mm long, the sepals triangular, ca. 0.5 mm long; corolla infundibuliform, pentagonal, intense yellow, usually with reddish lines on the angles (purple in the floral buds), the tube 4.5-6 mm long, the lobes reflexed, 1.5-3 mm long; stamens slightly exserted, the filaments unequal, pilose, connate at the base into a short tube; style bilobate, exserted in the pistillate flowers. Fruit a circular drupe, laterally flattened, 5-7 mm long, fleshy, white when ripe.

Phenology: Flowering throughout the year and fruiting from June to March.

Status: Native, very common.

Commentary: There is too much variation in the characters that have been utilized to distinguish Chiococca alba from C. parvifolia, so that it is not possible to distinguish two species with certainty. For this reason, I consider C. alba in a broader sense, including C. parvifolia. On the other hand, in Puerto Rico there is another species of Chiococca that I consider to be in accordance with the original description of C. micrantha Johnst. This species is not included in this work, since it is of shrubby habit.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 162; 708; 1914; 2199; 2432; 2592; 3129; 3821; 5077; 5173; 7020; 7033; 7075; 7194; 7209; 9491; 10500; 11338; Axelrod, F. 4754; Britton, N.L. 1063; Fosberg, F.R. 44165; 51352; Holdridge, L. 232; Liogier, A.H. 9895; Sargent, F.H. 702; Shafer, J.A. 2945; 3792; Sintenis, P. 1; 278; 774; 1948; 2393; 2483; 3421; 6199; 6550; Stevenson, J.A. 269; 1798; Underwood, L.M. 157; 907; Webster, G.L. 8869.
less ↑

Hillia parasitica Jacq., Enum. Pl. Carib. 18. 1760.

Fig. 146. M-P

Synonym: Hillia longiflora Sw.

Hilia, Flor de sierra, Tibey trepador Clambering or epiphytic shrub, climbing by means of adventitious roots, attainig 2-3 m in length. Stems cylindrical, brown, with pendulous lateral branches. Leaves opposite, coriaceous, glabrous, 3.5-12 × 1.7-6.5 cm, elliptical or oblanceolate, the apex abruptly acuminate, revolute, the base acute, the margins entire, revolute; upper surface dark green, shiny, with the midvein yellowish; lower surface pale green, with the midvein slightly prominent; petioles cylindrical, 10-20 mm long; stipules oblong, 1-5.5 cm long, membranaceous, deciduous. Flowers solitary, terminal on lateral branches, subtended by a pair of oblong bracts, 15-18 mm long. Calyx tubular, 3-5 mm long, green; corolla white, the tube narrow, 6-10 cm long, the limb with 4-7 slender lobes, 2-4 cm long, spreading, reflexed at the apex. Capsule cylindrical, 5-12 cm long, laterally compressed. Seeds numerous, elliptical, ca. 1 mm long, with a tuft of silky fibers, ca. 2 cm long, in the apical portion.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting almost throughout the year.

Status: Native, locally common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 4657; 7112; 7931; Britton, N.L. 924; 2020; 2203; 2591; 5525; 6541; Fosberg, F.R. 51339; Pfeifer 2485; Shafer, J.A. 3443; Sintenis, P. 525; Wagner 1752.
less ↑

Sabicea villosa Roem. & Schult., Veg. 5: 265. 1819.

Fig. 148. A-D

Synonym: Sabicea hirsuta Kunth

Herbaceous or slightly woody vine, twining, attainig 5 m in length. Stem green, hirsute, cylindrical, glabrescent, attaining 5 mm in diameter. Leaves opposite, membranaceous, 6-12 × 3.2-5.5 cm, ovate, oblong or elliptical, the apex acuminate, the base obtuse or less frequently attenuate, unequal, the margins entire, ciliate; upper surface sparsely hirsute, with the venation sunken; lower surface sparsely hirsute, particularly on the prominent veins; petioles hirsute, 7-14 mm long; stipules broadly ovate, 6-7 mm long, strigulose on the outer surface, persistent. Flowers sessile, in axillary clusters; bracts ovate, 3-5 mm long. Calyx green, strigose, 2-2.5 mm long, the lobes 5, expanded, glabrous; corolla tubular, white, strigose, 6-7 mm long. Berry globose or ellipsoid, fleshy, strigose, 7-10 mm long, purple, with the sepals persistent at the apex. Seeds numerous, ca. 0.5 mm long, cuneiform.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting during most of the year.

Status: Native, not very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Sintenis, P. 263; Wilson, P. 232.
less ↑

Marsdenia floribunda (Brongn.) Schltr. in Urb., Symb. Antill. 1: 275. 1899.

Fig. 27. E-H

Basionym: Stephanotis floribunda Brongn.

Woody vine, twining, 3-5 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems cylindrical, glabrous, striate, lenticellate. Leaves opposite; blades 5-12 × 2.2-3.5 cm, elliptical, coriaceous, glabrous, the apex short-acuminate, the base rounded to subcordiform, the margins entire, markedly revolute; upper surface dull, with 5 minute, conical glands, on the portion adjacent to the petiole; lower surface pale green, dull, with a prominent midvein; petioles 1-2 cm long, glabrous; intrapetiolar stipules acicular, minute. Flowers numerous, fragrant, in axillary umbels, ascending; peduncle 2-2.5 cm long; pedicels 2.5-3 cm long. Calyx crateriform to rotate, green, the sepals oblong, obtuse, sometimes minutely ciliate, glabrous; corolla white or cream-colored, hypocrateriform, 2.5-5 cm long, glabrous, the lobes oblong, obtuse, ca. 1 cm long; corona absent; anthers sessile, lanceolate; stigma conical. Follicles 7.5-10 cm long.

Phenology:Collected in flower in September.

Status: Exotic, common, cultivated.
less ↑