Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

116
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit from
August to March.
Status: Exotic, widely cultivated as a
vegetable, because its leaves are edible, like
spinach.
Distribution: Probably native to Africa, but
widely cultivated and naturalized throughout the
tropics.
Reference: Sperling, C. R. 1987. Systematics of the Basellaceae. Doctoral thesis, Harvard University.
8. Family BIGNONIACEAE
Key to the genera
1a. Leaves imparipinnate, without tendrils ............................................................................................ 2
1b. Leaves 2- or 3-foliolate, usually with a terminal tendril .................................................................. 4
2a. Corolla violet-pink; stamens inserted; calyx > 10 mm long ........................................ 8. Podranea
2b. Corolla orange or reddish orange; stamens exserted; calyx < 8 mm long ............... 11. Tecomaria
4a. Tendrils bifid or trifid ........................................................................................................................ 5
4b. Tendrils simple, spiral or spiral-shaped, sometimes absent ............................................................. 9
5a. Branches acutely hexagonal, with obtuse ribs .................................................................................. 6
5b. Branches cylindrical or quadrangular ............................................................................................... 7
6a. Leaflets cordiform or truncate at the base; calyx double, the interior margin short, the exterior
margin undulate, elongate; corolla white with a purple tinge ...............................1. Amphilophium
6b. Leaflets rounded at the base; calyx simple; corolla orange.......................................... 9. Pyrostegia
7a. Tendrils trifid, forming a small claw (harpidium); corolla yellow ........................... 5. Macfadyena
7b. Tendrils bifid or trifid, not forming a claw; corolla white, lilac, or purple ..................................... 8
8a. Branches quadrangular; interpetiolar zones not glandular; leaves without odor; tendrils trifid, with
one division deciduous and two developing into an adventitious disc; corolla white, with the tube
yellow inside ....................................................................................................................... 4. Distictis
8b. Branches cylindrical; interpetiolar zones glandular; leaves usually with a strong garlic odor; tendrils
trifid, each division simple, perennial, without an adventitious disc; corollas lilac or
purple...................................................................................................... 6. Mansoa
9a. Corolla bilabiate, white, ca. 4 mm long ....................................................................... 12. Tynanthus
9b. Corolla with 5 lobes of similar size, lilac, violet, or purple, > 1.5 cm long .................................. 10
10a. Stems lepidote, with pseudostipules; leaflets cuneate at the base, upper and lower surface lepidote,
with domatia in the axils of the basal secondary veins; corolla 8-9 cm long ................10. Saritaea
10b. Stems glabrous, without pseudostipules or these inconspicuous; leaflets truncate, rounded, or
subcordiform at the base; upper surface glabrous, lower surface glabrous or lepidote, without domatia;
corolla < 8 cm long .......................................................................................................................... 11