Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

114
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
is neither found either in Puerto Rico or the Virgin
Islands.
2. Anredera vesicaria (Lam.) C.F. Gaertn, Suppl.
Carp. 176, t. 213. 1807.
Fig. 42. A-G
BASIONYM: Basella vesicaria Lam.
SYNONYMS: Boussingaultia leptostachys Moq.
Anredera leptostachys (Moq.) Steenis
Suelda con suelda, Consuelda, Madera vine
Herbaceous vine, twining, attaining 15 m in
length. Roots tuberous. Stems slender, glabrous,
cylindrical, sometimes with a reddish tonality.
Leaves alternate; blades 3-11 × 2-6.5 cm, ovate,
glabrous, fleshy, the apex acute or acuminate, the
base rounded, obtuse, or cordiform, the margins
entire or crenate; upper surface dull, with
subconspicuous venation; lower surface slightly
shiny, with prominent venation; petioles 0.4-2 cm
long, slightly winged. Flowers aromatic,
functionally unisexual, in axillary pendulous
racemes, 10-20 cm long, or in terminal pendulous
panicles, 30-50 cm long; pedicels with deciduous
1. Basella alba L., Sp. Pl. 272. 1753.
Fig. 42. K-N
SYNONYM: Basella rubra L.
Espinaca de Nueva Zelandia, Acelga trepadora
Twining vine, climbing or creeping,
herbaceous, glabrous, attaining 10 m in length.
Stems somewhat succulent, cylindrical, usually
with a reddish to purple tonality, up to 2.5 cm in
diameter. Leaves alternate; blades 3-15 × 1.2-14
cm, green, reddish, or purple, ovate, orbicular, or
oblong, fleshy, the apex obtuse, rounded, or acute,
the base acute, subtruncate, rounded, or cordiform,
2. BASELLA
bracts. Calyx white, of ovate sepals, ca. 0.4 mm
long; corolla white, the petals ovate, 1.5-2.2 mm
long, turning cream-colored or remaining white
on drying; stamens 5, the filaments connate at
the base, 3-4 mm long, the anthers lanceolate,
0.2-0.4 mm long; ovary glabrous, globose,
stigmatic branches twice as long as the style.
Utricles obovoid, slightly triangular, 1-1.3 mm
long, crowned by the fleshy style.
Phenology: Flowering from September to
April. The populations of this species in
Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and
the Lesser Antilles contain staminate flowers only
and never produce fruits. The reproduction of this
species on the islands mentioned seems to be
exclusively asexual by means of underground
tubers (Sperling, 1987).
Status: Exotic, cultivated and naturalized,
rather common.
Distribution: In disturbed areas, at middle and
lower elevations. Also on Cayo Santiago, Vieques,
St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, and Tortola; from
the southern United States to northern South
America, including the Antilles.
Public forests: Susúa and Tortuguero.
Herbaceous, succulent, twining vines or decumbent or creeping herbs. Stems fleshy, much branched.
Leaves alternate, succulent, petiolate; blades simple; stipules absent. Flowers bisexual, produced in
axillary, simple or branched spikes. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, without aroma. Calyx of 2 white
or pale green sepals, free to the base, much shorter than the corolla, united to the petals at the base;
corolla tubular, urceolate, 5-lobed, succulent; stamens 5, with short filaments, inserted on the upper
portion of the corolla tube, the anthers dehiscent by longitudinal sutures; ovary superior, globose or
pyriform, of 3 carpels, uniovulate, the styles 3, free to the base. Fruit a utricle, completely covered by
the persistent or accrescent corolla. A genus of 5 species native to Africa or Madagascar.
decurrent on the petiole, the margins entire,
undulate, usually reddish or purple; upper surface
dull, with slightly conspicuous venation; lower
surface dull, with slightly prominent venation;
petioles green or reddish, 0.5-5 cm long, slightly
winged. Flowers arranged in simple or branched
spikes, axillary, erect, 15-25 cm long. Calyx white
or with a reddish tinge, the sepals 2, ovate or
elliptical, 3.2-4 mm long; corolla fleshy, white,
with a reddish or violet tinge toward the apex,
3.3-4.1 mm long. Utricles purple, fleshy, 4-lobate,
4-5 mm long, covered by the accrescent corolla,
5-7 mm long.