Vines and Climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Mikania cordifolia (L.f.) Willd., Sp. Pl. 3: 1746. 1804.

Fig. 35. E-H

Basionym: Cacalia cordifolia L.f.

Synonyms: Mikania gonoclada Dc.

Mikania convolvulacea Dc.

Slightly woody vine, twining, 2-5 m in length. Stems pubescent, octagonal, striate. Leaves opposite; blades 7-12 × 3.5-7.4 (9) cm, ovate, slightly aromatic, chartaceous, the apex acute, the base cordiform or subcordiform, the venation with three main veins, the margins serrate, upper surface dull green, puberulous; lower surface glaucous, densely pubescent, with prominent venation; petioles 5-4 cm long, sulcate; pseudostipules divided in lanceolate segments, whitish. Capitula numerous, arranged in axillary corymbiform cymes; subinvolucral bract linear to lanceolate, 4-5 mm long, pilose; phyllaries elliptical or narrowly ovate, 6-8 mm long, green, pubescent; corollas white, infundibuliform, aromatic; anthers brown, connate, exserted. Achenes prismatic, with 5 longitudinal ribs, ca. 3 mm long, grayish, scabrid; pappus of numerous white setae, scabrous, ca. 4.5 mm long.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from November to March.

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Abbott 1532; Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 3739; 4109; 4215; 7124; 7809; 9343; Boom, B. 7071; Britton, N.L. 368; 1669; 2349; 8578; Heller, A.A. 211; 4664; 6334; 6379; Liogier, A.H. 10646; Shafer, J.A. 2644; Sintenis, P. 204; 3052; 6194; Stevenson, J.A. 1154.
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Mikania micrantha Kunth in Humb. Bonpl. & Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. (quarto ed.) 4: 134. 1818.

Fig. 36. E-H

Herbaceous vine, twining, attaining 10 m or more in length. Stems pubescent, angular, striate. Leaves opposite; blades 6-13 × 3-8 cm, ovate, chartaceous, 3-5-nerved, the apex acuminate, the base cordiform, the margins dentate; upper surface slightly shiny, puberulous; lower surface puberulous, with the venation somewhat prominent; petioles sulcate, glabrous or puberulous, as long as or shorter than the blade; pseudostipules forming an interpetiolar ring of lanceolate segments, early deciduous. Capitula numerous, pedunculate, arranged in corymbiform or paniculiform cymes, terminal on short lateral branches; subinvolucral bracts subulate, 2-3 mm long, glabrous; phyllaries ovate-oblong or elliptical, green, 3-4 mm long; corolla white, infundibuliform, slightly fragrant, 2.5-3 mm long; anthers exserted. Achenes ca. 1.2 mm long, dark gray to black, pentagonal; pappus of numerous white bristles, 2-3 mm long.

Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit from November to February.

Status: Native, locally common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 13; 7052; 7136; 9406; 10529; 10626; 10751; 11885; V‚lez, I. 3196.
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Bidens reptans (L.) G. Don. in Sweet, Hort. Brit. ed. 3, 360. 1839.

Fig. 33. D-G

Basionym: Coreopsis reptans L.

Herbaceous vine, climbing or clambering, 2-5 m in length. Stems cylindrical, glabrous or puberulous, striate. Leaves opposite, 3-5-foliolate or 3-5-lobed; leaflets lanceolate or elliptical, membranaceous, the apex acuminate, the base acute in the terminal leaflet and unequal in the lateral ones, the margins serrate; upper and lower surface puberulous; petioles 1-1.8 cm long, glabrous. Capitula (1-3) in corymbs, produced at the tips of short axillary branches; involucre ca. 7 mm high, phyllaries in two series, revolute; corollas yellow, those of the margin with ligules ca. 1 cm long; anthers dark brown; stigmas yellow. Achenes linear, 6-10 mm long, compressed, 4-angled, with ascending hairs on the margins; pappus of 2 setae with retroflexed hairs.

Phenology: Flowering from October to July.

Status: Native, quite common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 160; 3734; 7807; Britton, N.L. 1559; 7452; Goll, G.P. 572; Heller, A.A. 874; 6081; Sargent, F.H. 481; Sintenis, P. 2919; Stevenson, J.A. 2404.
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Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides (Kunth) Cabrera, Brittonia 7: 54. 1950.

Fig. 39. D-G

Basionym: Senecio chenopodioides Kunth

Synonym: Senecio confusus Britten

Herbaceous vine, twining, 10-12 m in length. Stems striate, subcylindrical, glabrous or puberulous. Leaves alternate; blades 5-8 × 2.5-5 cm, lanceolate, membranaceous, the apex acuminate or acute, the base truncate, obtuse, or slightly cordiform, frequently unequal, the margins dentate-mucronate; upper surface dull, glabrous; lower surface dull, glabrous, with prominent venation; petioles 1.5-2.2 cm long. Capitula 2-6, pedunculate, in terminal corymbiform cymes; peduncles 2-5 cm long, puberulous; involucre crateriform, ca. 6 mm long, the phyllaries green, lanceolate, ca. 4 mm long. Disc flowers with yellow tubular corollas, 9-10 mm long; stigmatic branches yellow. Ray flowers with orange corollas, ligulate, the ligule elliptical,retuse at the apex, 2-2.5 cm long. Achenes turbinate, hispidulous, ca. 4 mm long; pappus of numerous white bristles, 5-7 mm long, scabrous.

Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit from January to April.

Status: Naturalized exotic, uncommon.

Selected Specimens Examined: Liogier, A.H. 36008; Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 7238; 9420; 11352.
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Salmea scandens (L.) Dc., Cat. Hort. Monspel. 141. 1813.

Fig. 41. A-C

Basionym: Bidens scandens L.

Clambering shrub, 2-3 m in length. Stems striate, cylindrical, glabrous or puberulous. Leaves opposite; blades 4.5-9.5 × 1.7-4.2 cm, lanceolate, chartaceous, the apex acute or acuminate, the base obtuse, attenuate, or rounded, the margins revolute, entire, denticulate to dentate; upper surface dull, glabrous; lower surface dull, glabrous, with prominent venation; petioles 6-17 mm long, glabrous. Capitula numerous, of few flowers, in terminal, pedunculate, corymbiform cymes; peduncles 1-10 mm long, puberulous; phyllaries 2-4-seriate, green, the outer elliptical, ca. 2 mm long, the inner spathulate, ca. 5 mm long; corollas white, tubular, 2.5-3 mm long; anthers exserted. Achenes cuneiform, compressed, ca. 2 mm long, glabrous, strigose on the margins; pappus of 2 barbate bristles, 1.5-1.7 mm long.

Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit from November to April.

Status: Native, locally common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 7798; 10862; 10879; Britton, N.L. 321; 1610; 1970; Eggers, B. 1159; Heller, A.A. 405; 4690; Liogier, A.H. 10711; Sintenis, P. 2346; 6206; 6628; Stevenson, J.A. 495; Woodbury, s.n.
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Piptocarpha tetrantha Urb., Symb. Antill. 1: 457. 1899.

Fig. 39. A-C

Liana or clambering shrub, 10 m or more in length. Stems pendulous, flexible, with numerous white scales when young, slightly compressed, striate and lenticellate when mature, attaining 2.5 cm in diameter. Leaves alternate, distichous; blades 6-12 × 2-5 cm, oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptical, coriaceous, the apex acute or obtuse, the base unequal, obtuse-acute, the margins smooth or denticulate; upper surface light green, slightly shiny, with reticulate venation, covered with small scales; lower surface completely covered with white scales, venation prominent; petioles 1-1.6 cm long, sulcate, whitish. Capitula in cymes, forming a compound axillary or terminal racemiform inflorescence; involucre tubular, 7-8 mm long; phyllaries in 6 series, green, pilose at the apex and ciliate at the margins, the series gradually increasing in size toward the interior. Corolla white, infundibuliform, 5-6 mm long. Achenes cuneiform, cream-colored, 4-4.5 mm long; pappus of numerous cream-colored bristles, ca. 5.8 mm long.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting probably throughout the year, but with more intensity from January to March.

Status: Endemic to Puerto Rico, common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 2974; 7095; 9449; Boom, B. 6899; 7104; 10077; Breckon, G. 4428; Britton, N.L. 2030; 5285; Liogier, A.H. 10024; Shafer, J.A. 3437; Sintenis, P. 1637; 5339.
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