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

Tournefortia bicolor Sw., Prodr. 40. 1788.

Fig. 50. A-E

Synonym: Tournefortia laevigata Lam.

Woody vine, twining, attaining 10 m in length. Stems cylindrical, strigose, glabrous when mature, attaining 4-5 cm in diameter. Leaves alternate; blades 4-15 × 2.5-8 cm, lanceolate or elliptical, chartaceous, the apex acute or short-acuminate, the base cuneate or obtuse, the margins entire or crenulate; upper surface glabrous or appressedpubescent or scabrid, puberulous on the venation, lower surface glabrous, with prominent puberulous venation; petioles sulcate, strigulose, 5-25 mm long. Flowers numerous, sessile, in scorpioid cymes, branched, the axes strigose. Calyx green, crateriform, strigose, the sepals subulate, 1.5-2 mm long; corolla white, hypocrateriform, 4-6 mm long, strigose outside, the lobes ovate, spreading, ca. 1 mm long; stamens inserted; ovary ovoid, with 4 chambers, the stigma sessile. Drupe globose, white, ca. 8 mm in diameter, separating into 4 pyrenes on drying.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from February to August.

Status: Native, uncommon.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 4121; Britton, E.G. 2866; Britton, N.L. 339; 6269; Sargent, F.H. B20; Sintenis, P. 1420; 6211.
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Cordia polycephala (Lam.) I.M. Johnst., J. Arnold Arbor. 16: 33. 1935.

Fig. 49. G-L

Basionym: Varronia polycephala Lam.

Synonym: Varronia corymbosa (L.)Desv.

Woody shrub, clambering, up to 5 m in length. Stems pubescent when young, cylindrical, attaining 1.5 cm in diameter. Leaves alternate; blades 4-15 × 2-5.5 cm, ovate, lanceolate, or elliptical, coriaceous, the apex acute or acuminate, the base obtuse or rounded, sometimes unequal, the margins serrate; upper surface scabrous, the venation sunken; lower surface pale green, more or less pubescent, with prominent reticulate venation; petioles pubescent, 5-10 mm long. Flowers numerous, sessile, arranged in terminal or axillary paniculate or corymbose heads. Calyx yellowish green, crateriform, pubescent, 2.5-3 mm long; corolla white, campanulate, 4-5 mm long, the lobes much shorter than the tube, the tube pubescent inside; stamens and stigmas inserted. Drupe red, globose, 3-4 mm in diameter, completely covered by the accrescent calyx.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout the year, particularly in June and July.

Status: Native, very common.

Commentary: Cordia wagnerorum Howard was originally described as a clambering shrub; nevertheless, the clambering habit seems to be the exception to the rule, since I have only observed this species as an erect shrub. For this reason, this species has been excluded from the present work.

Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 96; 822; 2059; 3054; 3834; 5174; 10465; 10481; 11219; 11477.
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