Vines and Climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Clematis dioica L., Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 1084. 1759.

Fig. 143. J

Slightly woody vine, dioecious, that climbs by means of twining leaves and attains 3-10 m in length. Stems slender, sulcate, glabrous, almost cylindrical, with many lateral branches. Leaves opposite, trifoliolate; leaflets coriaceous, ovate or cordiform, 5-9 × 2-7 cm, the apex acute or shortacuminate, the base subcordiform or rounded, the margins entire, sometimes with 1-2 teeth; upper surface shiny, glabrous; lower surface pale green, dull, glabrous or puberulent toward the base, with slightly prominent venation; petiolules more or less glabrous, the terminal one 1.5-3 cm long, the lateral ones 0.7-2.5 cm long; petioles 3-7 cm long, glabrous. Inflorescences axillary or terminal on short lateral branches; flowers unisexual, in dichasial cymes; pedicels 1.2-4 cm long, with a pair of minute bracteoles below the middle. Sepals white or cream-colored, oblanceolate or obovate, 4-10 mm long, more or less glabrous except for the lanate-pubescent margins; stamens 30-50, unequal; carpels 15-25, ca. 6 mm long. Fruit an ellipsoid achene, slightly compressed, 3-4 mm long, pilose, the margin not thickened, the style plumose, persistent, 2-6 cm long, dispersed by the wind.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from October to February.

Status: Native, rare.

Selected Specimens Examined: Sintenis, P. 5843.
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Cissampelos pareira L., Sp. Pl. 1031. 1753.

Fig. 125. A-J

Dioecious vine, slightly woody, twining, attainig 3-6 m in length. Stems slender, cylindrical, glabrous or pilose. Leaves alternate, chartaceous, broadly ovate to almost circular, 4-12 × 4-10 cm, the apex rounded, obtuse, emarginate, usually mucronate, the base cordiform, subtruncate, usually peltate; upper surface glabrous, yellowish green or grayish, dull; lower surface pale green, almost whitish, sparsely or densely pubescent, with the venation palmate, prominent, the margin revolute, crenate; petioles cylindrical, pubescent, 2-7 cm long, with the base swollen. Inflorescences of axillary cymes or cauliflorous; bracts of the pistillate inflorescences foliaceous, ovate, pilose. Flowers 1-1.5 mm long, greenish. Calyx pilose. Drupe globose, redorange, 4-5 mm in diameter, fleshy, partially covered by a bract. Seed horseshoe-shaped.

Phenology: Flowering throughout the year.

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 826; 1868; 2219; 2439; 3126; 5343; 7090; 11312; Axelrod, F. 6003; Britton, N.L. 126; 667; Heller, A.A. 332; 1283; Otero, J. 564; Sargent, F.H. 223; Shafer, J.A. 2482; 3255; Sintenis, P. 326; 5186; 5354; Stevenson, J.A. 259; 435; 1971; Underwood, L.M. 305; 321; 350; 357; Wilson, P. 282.
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Clematis flammulastrum Griseb., Pl. Wright. 153. 1860.

Fig. 4.E, 143. E-I

Slightly woody vine, dioecious, that climbs by means of twining leaves and attains 3-4 m in length. Stems slender, almost cylindrical, brittle, puberulent, especially at the nodes; mature stems fissured, with corky bark, attaining ca. 1 cm in diameter. Leaves opposite, 5-9-foliolate; leaflets coriaceous, ovate, lanceolate, oblong, or sometimes deltate in outline, 2.5-6 × 0.8-3.6 cm, the apex acute or acuminate, the base rounded or subcordiform, the margins revolute, lobateserrate, especially on the basal leaflets; upper surface slightly shiny, glabrous or puberulent, with the venation sunken; lower surface pale green, dull, glabrous or puberulent, with prominent venation; petiolules puberulent, 5-15 mm long; petioles 2-7 cm long, puberulent. Inflorescences axillary or terminal on short lateral branches; flowers unisexual, in paniculiform dichasial cymes; pedicels 2.5-3.2 cm long, strigulose, with a pair of minute bracteoles almost at the base. Sepals oblanceolate or obovate, 8-10 mm long, sericeous on the surface; stamens 35-60, unequal; carpels 20-30(50), ca. 6 mm long. Fruit an elliptical achene, flattened, 3-4 mm long, pilose, with the margin thickened on one border, the style plumose, persistent, 1.5-3 cm long, dispersed by the wind.

Phenology: Collected in flower in November and in fruit in January.

Status: Native, not very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 7224; 10221; Britton, N.L. 1762; Heller, A.A. 6156; Sintenis, P. 43; Stevenson, J.A. 1074; 1158.
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Clematis polygama Jacq., Enum. Syst. Pl. 24. 1760.

Fig. 143. A-D

Slightly woody vine, dioecious, that climbs by means of twining leaves and attains 10 m in length. Stems slender, cylindrical, sulcate, pilose or strigose, with many lateral branches. Leaves opposite, trifoliolate; leaflets chartaceous, ovate or lanceolate, 5-11 × 2-8 cm, the apex acute or acuminate, the base rounded or subcordiform, the margins entire, not lobate, sometimes with 1-3(5) teeth; upper surface dull, glabrous or sparsely strigulose; lower surface pale green, dull, glabrous or sparsely strigulose, with prominent venation; petiolules strigulose, the terminal one 0.7-3.5 cm long, the lateral ones 0.4-2 cm long; petioles 3-13 cm long, strigulose. Flowers unisexual, in axillary simple dichasial cymes, sometimes solitary; peduncles strigose; pedicels 1.2-3 cm long, strigose, with a pair of minute bracteoles near the base. Sepals white, cream-colored, or pale green, oblong or elliptical, 8-10 mm long, sericeous-pubescent on the outer surface; stamens 16-66, unequal; carpels 20-60, ca. 6 mm long. Fruit an elliptical achene, compressed, ca. 4 mm long, pilose, the margin thickened, the style plumose, persistent, 4-6 cm long, dispersed by the wind.

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

Status: Native, relatively common.

Commentary: The three species present in Puerto Rico had been treated as a single species under the name of Clematis dioica. The revision of Moreno (1993) reveals the presence of three species in Puerto Rico, with C. dioica limited to the Greater Antilles. The species that is found in the Lesser Antilles corresponds, according to her, to C. guadeloupae Pers.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 7234; Axelrod, F. 8473; Sintenis, P. 2255; 2949; 6207.
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