Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

100
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
1. Mikania congesta DC., Prodr. 5: 197. 1836.
Fig. 35. A-D
SYNONYMS: Mikania micrantha var. congesta (DC.) L. B.
Rob.
Mikania scandens sensu A. Stahl, non Willd.
Guaco falso
Herbaceous vine, twining, 2-5 m in length.
Stems cylindrical or angular, striate, puberulous,
or pilose. Leaves opposite; blades 2.5-14 × 1-10
cm, deltate-ovate or oblong-ovate, chartaceous,
with 3-5 main veins, the apex acute or acuminate,
the base cordiform, the margins entire or weakly
dentate or undulate; upper surface dull green,
glabrous or puberulous; lower surface puberulous,
densely covered with resinous dots; petioles 1.5-
14 cm long, puberulous; pseudostipules forming
a ring of lanceolate segments, early deciduous.
Capitula numerous, sessile or short-pedunculate
(4-5 mm long), arranged in dense, globose or
corymbiform glomerules, terminal or at the end
of short lateral branches; subinvolucral bract
acicular, 2.5-4 mm long, puberulous; phyllaries
oblong, 3-4 mm long, pilose, light green. Corollas
white, infundibuliform, 2.5-3.5 mm long, with
resinous dots at the apex. Achenes 3-3.5 mm long,
black, cuneiform, with resinous dots; pappus of
33-37 bristles, white, scabrous, ca. 3 mm long.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from
November to March.
Status: Native, relatively common.
Distribution: Of wide distribution, in disturbed
areas at lower and middle elevations. Also in
Jamaica, Martinique, northern South America,
Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.
Public forests: Guánica, Maricao, Piñones,
Río Abajo, and Susúa.
Commentary: Mikania congesta is very
similar to M. micrantha; nevertheless, it can be
distinguished from M. micrantha by the
subinvolucral bracts usually of the same length
or longer than the phyllaries (vs. shorter) and by
the capitula arranged in subglobose glomerules
(vs. capitula in corymbs).
2. 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.
Guaco
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.
Distribution: In pastures or along rivers or
roads, at middle and lower elevations. Also on
Vieques and the Virgin Islands; throughout the
Neotropics.
Public forests: Carite, El Yunque, Guilarte,
Maricao, Río Abajo, Toro Negro, Tortuguero, and
Vega.
3. Mikania fragilis Urb., Symb. Antill. 1: 464.
1899.
Fig. 36. A-D
SYNONYMS: Mikania fragilis Urb. var. leptodon Urb.
Mikania rotunda sensu A. Stahl, non Griseb.
Guaco redondo*
Herbaceous vine, twining, 6-8 m in length.
Stems angular, with numerous lateral branches,
pubescent when young, grayish with numerous
lenticels when mature, the inner bark reddish,
aromatic. Leaves opposite; blade 5-11 × 4-10 cm,
broadly ovate, fragile, fleshy, slightly aromatic,
not glandular, the apex acute, obtuse, or rounded,
the base cordiform, the margins serrate, revolute;
upper surface dark green, shiny, with the reticulate
venation sunken, scabrid; lower surface pale
green, dull, sometimes with some resinous dots,
venation prominent; petioles thick, 2-4 cm long,
pubescent, sulcate; pseudostipules broadly ovate,