Vines and Climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Valeriana scandens L., Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 47. 1762.

Fig. 158 A-E

Herbaceous vine, twining, attainig 2-3 m in length. Stems cylindrical, glabrous or puberulent at the nodes. Leaves opposite, trifoliolate; leaflets 1.3-6 × 0.8-2.2 cm (terminal leaflet larger than the lateral ones), membranaceous, glabrous, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, the apex acuminate, the base obtuse, rounded, or truncate, the margins entire or crenate, the venation slightly prominent on both surfaces; petioles slender, 1.2-3 cm long. Flowers in dichasial or pseudodichotomous cymes with lateral monochasia. Hypanthium ovoid, ca. 1 mm long, crowned by 10-12 filiform sepals; corolla narrowly campanulate, 1.3-1.8 mm long, the lobes 0.2-0.4 mm long; stamens included; style ca. 1 mm long, with three short stigmatic branches. Achene flattened, ribbed, ovate, ca. 2.5 mm long, crowned by a tuft of plumose sepals, ca. 4 mm long

Phenology: Collected in flower from November to May and in fruit in March.

Status: Native, uncommon.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 9399; 10203; Britton, N.L. 495; 5401; Sintenis, P. 302; 4932.
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