Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

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Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
section of the mature stem with a cross of 8 dark,
marginal arms, formed by the phloem tissue;
branches quadrangular, glabrous, pseudostipules
absent. Leaves opposite, 2-foliolate, with a
terminal tendril, simple, filiform, early deciduous;
lateral leaflets 5.5-16 × 2.5-9 cm, ovate, oblong,
or elliptical, chartaceous, the apex obtuse, acute,
or acuminate, the base obtuse to subcordiform,
the margins entire; upper surface glabrous; lower
surface with punctiform scales, without domatia;
petioles and petiolules quadrangular, pubescent
or glabrous, the petiole 0.9-4.5 cm long, the
petiolules 0.8-4 cm long. Flowers fragrant,
produced in axillary or terminal panicles. Calyx
yellowish, crateriform, simple, 4-10 mm long,
pubescent or with punctiform scales, the apex
truncate or denticulate; corolla zygomorphic,
1. Distictis lactiflora (Vahl) DC., Prodr. 9: 191.
1845.
Fig. 3. A; 44. E-H
BASIONYM: Bignonia lactiflora Vahl
SYNONYM: Macrodiscus lactiflorus (Vahl) Bureau
Pega palo, Liana fragante, Viuda
Woody vine that climbs by tendrils with
adhesive discs and attains 5 m or more in length.
Mature stems cylindrical with the bark light
brown, shredded; cross section with peripheral
phloem forming a cross of 4 arms. Branches
quadrangular, striate, puberulous, with thickened
nodes; pseudostipules foliaceous, 3-4 mm long,
deciduous. Leaves opposite, 2-foliolate, with a
terminal tendril with 3 branches, 2 of them
modified into an adhesive disc; leaflets 2.7-8 ×
2-4.5 cm, oblong, elliptical to subrounded,
coriaceous, with the reticulate venation
conspicuous, the apex obtuse, acute, or acuminate,
4. DISTICTIS
tubular-campanulate, 2.5-7.5 cm long, the tube
slightly compressed, narrow at the base, white,
yellow inside, the lobes rounded, lilac, the throat
yellow with violet lines; stamens inserted; ovary
cylindrical, 2-3 mm long, without a disc at the
base. Capsules linear, 21-43 × 1.5-2.4 cm,
prominent on the margins; seeds numerous,
semicircular, membranaceous, 1.5-3.8 cm long,
with two membranaceous wings.
Phenology: Flowering throughout the year.
Status: Native, common.
Distribution: In river-bank forests, on the
edges of mangrove swamps, and in coastal forests.
Also on St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas; Cuba,
Hispaniola, the Lesser Antilles, and continental
tropical America.
Public forest: Guánica.
Lianas with tendrils. Stems hexagonal or quadrangular, cross section of the mature stem with
peripheral phloem forming a cross of 4 arms, or cylindrical and not forming a cross; interpetiolar zone
not glandular; pseudostipules present. Leaves opposite, 2-foliolate, frequently with a terminal trifid
tendril. Flowers in terminal racemes or panicles. Calyx crateriform, simple, more or less truncate,
usually glandular near the apex; corolla white, cream-colored, or red-violet, tubular-campanulate or
broadly tubular, pubescent outside; stamens 4, didynamous; ovary superior, oblong, with 2 locules and
an annular-patelliform disc at the base. Fruit a convex or biconvex capsule, elliptic-oblong, with the
valves parallel to the septum; seeds compressed, with elongate irregular protuberances, in 2 rows. A
genus of 6 species distributed from Mexico to Brazil, including the Antilles.
the base rounded or acute, unequal; upper surface
shiny, glabrous, puberulous, or minutely lepidote;
lower surface pale green, dull, covered with
minute transparent scales, venation prominent;
petioles 1-2 cm long, the petiolules 5-10 mm long,
both with 2 rows of crimped hairs. Flowers
fragrant, in pendulous, terminal racemes or
panicles, 10-30 cm long; peduncles and pedicels
pubescent. Calyx simple, green, crateriform, 5-7
mm long, truncate at the apex or minutely
denticulate; corolla white, infundibuliform, 2.5-
5.5 cm long, the tube yellow inside, the lobes 5,
rounded, ca. 1.5 cm long. Capsule woody,
elliptical, 6.5-13 × 1.7-3.5 cm, somewhat
compressed or subcylindrical, with the apex and
base acute; seeds numerous, compressed, ca. 2.5
cm long, the central circular body ca. 7 mm in
diameter, with a surrounding marginal hyaline
wing.