Common Vines & Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Ipomoea triloba L., Sp. Pl. 161. 1753.

Fig. 72. A-C

Herbaceous vine, twining or creeping, 2-3 m in length, with scarce milky latex. Stems green, cylindrical, smooth, slender, puberulous. Leaves alternate; blades simple, 3-6 (9) × 3-5 (6.5) cm, ovate to subcircular, usually 3-5-lobed, chartaceous, the apex mucronate, acute, or emarginate, the base cordiform or sagittate, the margins smooth, slightly revolute; upper surface with minute hairs on the veins; lower surface glabrous, with prominent venation; petioles glabrous, somewhat sulcate, 2-4 cm long, with two glandular depressions where they join the blade. Flowers in simple or compound dichasial cymes, axillary; peduncles longer than the petioles, quadrangular, pubescent, tuberculate. Calyx green, not accrescent, the sepals pilose, subequal, ca. 8 mm long, ovate to oblanceolate, the apex acuminate or acute; corolla violet-pink or lavender, usually reddish at the base in the center, infundibuliform or campanulate, 1.4-1.6 cm long, the limb ca. 1 cm in diameter; stamens sagittate, white, two of them shorter, not exserted; stigmas globose, white, not exserted. Capsule depressed-globose, brown, ca. 8 mm in diameter, pilose, with the style persistent; seeds 4 per fruit, 3-5 mm long, glabrous, dark brown to black.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Status: Native, very common.

Commentary: In the absence of the corolla, this species can be confused with I. tiliacea in individuals with relatively large and unlobed leaves. Nevertheless, I. triloba is distinguished by having pilose sepals, while those of I. tiliacea are glabrous.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 2056; 2314; 3079; 3099; 4200; 5399; 7218; Axelrod, F. 10827; Britton, N.L. 1663; 4975; 6060; Goll, G.P. 797; 800; Heller, A.A. 494; 6222; Prey, N. 51; H. Shafer, J.A. 2851; 3042; Sintenis, P. 827; 3215; 3454; Stevenson, J.A. 2482.
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Merremia umbellata (L.) H. Hallier, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 552. 1893.

Fig. 76. H-L

Basionym: Convolvulus umbellatus L.

Synonym: Ipomoea polyanthes Willd. exRoem. & Schult.

Slightly woody vine, climbing or creeping, twining, attaining 5 m in length, with scarce milky latex. Stems slender, cylindrical, glabrous or pubescent, green or copper-colored, with a pair of spiniform projections at the nodes. Leaves alternate; blades simple, 4-17 × 5-12 cm, ovate or lanceolate, chartaceous, glabrous, the apex obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate and mucronate, the base cordiform or sagittate, the margins undulate; upper surface yellowish green, dull, glabrous, with the venation sunken, covered with minute white hairs; lower surface glabrous, with the veins puberulous; petioles cylindrical, usually longer than the blade, pubescent. Flowers in umbelliform cymes, axillary; peduncles shorter than the petioles, angular or cylindrical, puberulous, sometimes with winged projections; pedicels ca. 2 cm long, puberulous. Calyx green, the sepals unequal, 1-1.5 cm long, glabrous, overlapping, ovate or rounded; corolla brilliant yellow, infundibuliform, 2.5-3 cm long, the limb ca. 3 cm in diameter, with obtuse lobes; stamens white, not exserted; stigmas greenish, slightly exserted. Capsule globose, 4-valvate, ca. 1 cm long, brown, covered by the persistent sepals; seeds obtusely trigonal, 5-8 mm long, brown, velvety, with a line of longer hairs on two of the margins.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from November to April and sometimes later in the year.

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 2467; 2472; 4019; 4103; 5402; 6991; Britton, N.L. 10050; Goll, G.P. 499; Sargent, F.H. 90; Shafer, J.A. 2884; Sintenis, P. 829; Stevenson, J.A. 1148.
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Ipomoea repanda Jacq., Enum. Syst. Pl. 13. 1760.

Fig. 69. C-F

Synonym: Exogonium repandum (Jacq.)Choisy

Herbaceous vine, twining, attaining 10 m in length, usually producing abundant milky latex. Roots tuberous, elongate or rounded. Stems slender, glabrous, cylindrical, striate when young, lenticellate on the mature portions. Leaves alternate; blades simple, 5-18 × 1.5-13 cm, glabrous, chartaceous, ovate, lanceolate, or sometimes trilobed, the apex and lobes acute or acuminate, mucronate, the base cordiform, truncate, or rounded, the margins revolute, entire or slightly undulate; upper surface dark green, shiny; lower surface pale green, punctate, with a prominent midvein; petioles 1.5-6 cm long, sulcate, glabrous. Flowers in compound dichasial cymes, pendulous; bracts deciduous. Calyx pink, crateriform, not accrescent, the sepals unequal, 8-10 mm long, ovate, obtuse at the apex; corolla bright pink, hypocrateriform, 4-5.5 cm long, the limb with 5 deep lobes, oblong, obtuse, reflexed; stamens and stigmas pink or white, exserted. Capsules conical to ellipsoid, the pericarp thin, pale brown, 1.2-1.5 cm long, apiculate; seeds 4 per capsule, black, 5-6 mm long, with two sides flat and one convex, with a row of silky hairs longer than the seed at the margins and the apex.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year, especially from June to January.

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 163; 620; 2400; 2559; 2563; 2839; 3123; 3128; 7117; Britton, N.L. 1516; 7122; Eggers, B. 1321; Hartley 13328; Howard, R.A. 16812; Liogier, A.H. 10438; Sargent, F.H. 113; Shafer, J.A. 3604; Sintenis, P. 289; 5330; Stevenson, J.A. 1156; Vélez, I. 1480.
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Ipomoea setifera Poir. in Lam., Encycl. 6: 17. 1804.

Fig. 70. A-B

Synonym: Ipomoea rubra (Vahl) Millsp.

Herbaceous vine, twining, climbing, or creeping, attaining 12 m or more in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems cylindrical, slender, pilose, sometimes with a pink tinge, usually with numerous aerial roots where they enter in contact with the soil. Leaves alternate; blades simple, 4.5-16 (24) × 2.7-6.4, glabrous, chartaceous, oblong or ovate, the apex obtuse, retuse and mucronate, the base cordiform or hastate, the margins revolute, undulate, usually with a pink or purple tinge; upper surface dark green with the midvein slightly prominent; lower surface pale green, minutely punctate, with prominent venation, conspicuously reddish; petioles 10-21 cm long, slender, glabrous, sulcate, usually reddish. Flowers in compound dichasial cymes, axillary; peduncle thick, shorter than the petioles; bracts ovate, 1.5-2 cm long. Calyx light green, crateriform, the sepals ovate, unequal, 12-17 mm long, with 3 parallel veins and prominent like a keel, the apex acuminate, the outer sepals longer than the inner ones; corolla violet-pink with the center darker, infundibuliform, 4-7 cm long, the limb 4-5 cm in diameter, with 5 rounded lobes; stamens pink, not exserted; stigmas pink, exserted. Capsule ovoid, ca. 1 cm in diameter, the pericarp thin, covered by the persistent sepals at the base; seeds 4 per fruit, with two sides flat and one convex, ca. 6 mm long, dark brown to black, tomentulose.

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

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 3094; 3764; 5433; Britton, N.L. 1392; 1506; 9428; Fisher, M.J. 7; Goll, G.P. 251; 843; Heller, A.A. 376; 6364; Sargent, F.H. 108; Sintenis, P. 963; Stevenson, J.A. 291; 698.
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Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R. Br. in Tuckey, Narr. Exped. Zaire 477. 1818.

Fig. 68. G-H

Basionym: Convolvulus pes-caprae L.

Vine, creeping or sometimes ascending, up to 10 m in length, with scarce milky latex. Stems cylindrical, glabrous, woody in the older portions, the young portions herbaceous, producing adventitious roots in the area of the nodes. Leaves alternate; blades simple, 6.5-12 × 4-7.3 cm, oblong, reniform to subrounded, coriaceous, glabrous, the apex emarginate and mucronate, the base rounded, cordiform, or truncate, the margins entire; upper surface with the veins flat, scarcely visible; lower surface with the veins slightly prominent; petioles 3-8 cm long, glabrous, thick, slightly compressed on the upper surface, swollen at the base. Flowers solitary or in simple dichasia, axillary; peduncles shorter than the petioles; bracts subulate, ca. 5 mm long. Calyx yellowish green, not accrescent, the sepals unequal, 1.2-1.4 cm long, coriaceous, ovate, the apex rounded and mucronate; corolla pink or lavender, infundibuliform, 4.5-5 cm long, the limb up to 6 cm in diameter, with 5 rounded lobes; stamens and stigmas not exserted. Capsule ovoid to globose, 1.5-1.8 cm long, light brown, with a thin pericarp and with the sepals persistent and reflexed at the base; seeds 4 per fruit, ca. 8 mm long, dark brown, pubescent, with two sides flat and one convex.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 2052; 4380; 11057; Fosberg, F.R. 52279; Goll, G.P. 3; 957; Sargent, F.H. 107; Shafer, J.A. 2400; Sintenis, P. 86; Stevenson, J.A. 1688; Underwood, L.M. 924.
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Cuscuta americana L., Sp. Pl. 124. 1753.

Fig. 89. A-H

Herbaceous parasitic vine, attaining 5 m in length, with numerous lateral twining branches that adhere by means of haustoria. Stems yelloworange, cylindrical, smooth, glabrous, 1.5-2.5 mm in diameter. Leaves vestigial, 1-2 mm long, yellowish, in the form of scales. Flowers bisexual, sessile, in short axillary cymes. Calyx crateriform, whitish, membranaceous, 2.3-2.5 mm long, with 5 minute lobes; corolla whitish, crateriform to tubular, ca. 2.3 mm long, with 5 minute and rounded lobes; stamens 5, adnate to the upper portion of the corolla tube, the filaments with a scalloped scale at the base; ovary depressedglobose. Capsule thin-walled, 1.5-2 mm long, opening longitudinally in the area between the two styles. Seed one or rarely two per fruit, subglobose or lenticular, ca. 1.5 mm long, smooth, light brown.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Status: Native, very common

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 775; 1840; 2453; 2466; 2569; 2751; 3774; 4048; 4190; 7071; 11045; 11068.
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Ipomoea tiliacea (Willd.) Choisy in A.Dc., Prodr. 9: 375. 1845.

Fig. 71. D-H

Basionym: Convolvulus tiliaceus Willd.

Slightly woody vine, twining, 5-10 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems glabrous or pubescent, striate, cylindrical. Leaves alternate; blades simple, 5-20 × 4-14 cm, ovate, chartaceous, sometimes 3-5-lobed, the apex acuminate, the base cordiform, the margins undulate, ciliate; upper surface dark green, dull, usually with the venation sunken, glabrous except for the pilose midvein; lower surface pale green, with prominent venation, slightly pubescent; petioles 4-25 cm long, sulcate, puberulous. Flowers in double dichasia, axillary; peduncles shorter than the petioles. Calyx green, not accrescent, sepals unequal, 8-12 mm long, oblanceolate, glabrous, apiculate at the apex; corolla violet-pink to pale pink, with the center darker, infundibuliform, 5-6 cm long, the limb with 5 rounded lobes; stamens and stigmas not exserted. Capsule depressedglobose, 8-10 mm in diameter, the pericarp thin, light brown; seeds 4 per fruit, glabrous, dark brown, dull, angular, 3.5-4 mm long.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Status: Native, very common.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 524; 2468; 2650; 3763; 6207; 9306; 9332; 11230; Britton, N.L. 127; 1505; 1608; 5529; Heller, A.A. 971; 6341; Johnston, J.R. 873; Prey, N. 91; Shafer, J.A. 2449; Stevenson, J.A. 67; 292; Underwood, L.M. 127.
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