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Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

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<strong>Vines</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Climbing</strong> <strong>Plants</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Puerto</strong> <strong>Rico</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Virgin</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong>s 167<br />

Twining vine, slightly woody, attaining 5 m<br />

in length, with watery latex. Stems cylindrical,<br />

slender, glabrous. Leaves alternate; blades 4-13<br />

× 4.5-11 cm, ovate or deeply 3-5-lobed,<br />

chartaceous, glabrous, <strong>the</strong> apex <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lobes<br />

acuminate, <strong>the</strong> base cordiform or sagittate; upper<br />

surface dark green, dull, glabrous, punctate, with<br />

<strong>the</strong> veins slightly prominent; lower surface pale<br />

green, with <strong>the</strong> primary <strong>and</strong> secondary veins<br />

prominent; petioles 4.5-9 cm long, glabrous,<br />

slender. Flowers in dichasial cymes with one-sided<br />

racemose branches. Calyx pale green, not<br />

accrescent, <strong>the</strong> sepals 5-8 mm long, lanceolate,<br />

aristate at <strong>the</strong> apex; corolla hypocrateriform,<br />

bright red or red-orange, 4-4.5 cm long, <strong>the</strong> limb<br />

ca. 2.5 cm in diameter, with 5 obtuse lobes,<br />

shallow; stamens <strong>and</strong> stigmas white or pink,<br />

exserted. Capsules globose, ca. 8 mm in diameter,<br />

<strong>the</strong> pericarp thin; seeds 4 per fruit, light brown,<br />

ca. 5 mm long, pubescent.<br />

Phenology: Collected in flower <strong>and</strong> fruit from<br />

October to January.<br />

Status: Apparently native, moderately<br />

common.<br />

Distribution: In thickets, forest margins, <strong>and</strong><br />

disturbed areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> coast or <strong>the</strong> interior <strong>of</strong> <strong>Puerto</strong><br />

<strong>Rico</strong>. Also on Vieques, St. Croix, St. John, <strong>and</strong><br />

St. Thomas; <strong>the</strong> Antilles, Central America, <strong>and</strong><br />

South America, introduced in <strong>the</strong> Old World<br />

tropics.<br />

Public forest: Toro Negro.<br />

6. Ipomoea horsfalliae W. Hook., Bot. Mag. t.<br />

3315. 1854.<br />

Fig. 66. A-B<br />

Twining vine, slightly woody, attaining more<br />

than 10 m in length, with watery latex. Stems<br />

cylindrical, slender, glabrous. Leaves alternate,<br />

palmately compound; leaflets 5, elliptical, 5.5-10<br />

× 1.6-2.7 cm (<strong>the</strong> central leaflet larger than <strong>the</strong><br />

lateral ones), chartaceous or membranaceous,<br />

glabrous, <strong>the</strong> apex acuminate or long-acuminate,<br />

<strong>the</strong> base acute or acuminate; upper surface<br />

glabrous, with <strong>the</strong> midvein slightly prominent;<br />

lower surface glabrous, punctate, with a<br />

prominent midvein; petioles 4.5-6 cm long,<br />

glabrous, slender. Flowers in double dichasial<br />

cymes. Calyx with a reddish tinge, not accrescent,<br />

<strong>the</strong> sepals unequal, 7-10 mm long, elliptical to<br />

ovate, obtuse at <strong>the</strong> apex, <strong>the</strong> outer ones shorter<br />

than <strong>the</strong> inner ones; corolla infundibuliform,<br />

violet-red or bright pink, 4-6.3 cm long, <strong>the</strong> limb<br />

3.5-4.5 cm in diameter, with 5 rounded lobes;<br />

stamens <strong>and</strong> stigmas not exserted. Capsules<br />

ellipsoid, ca. 8 mm in diameter, <strong>the</strong> pericarp thin;<br />

seeds 4 per fruit, light brown, ca. 5 mm long,<br />

glabrous.<br />

Phenology: Collected in flower from October<br />

to January.<br />

Status: Possibly exotic <strong>and</strong> naturalized,<br />

uncommon.<br />

Distribution: In moist forests <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cordillera<br />

Central <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong> zone <strong>of</strong> mogotes. This species<br />

was originally described based on material<br />

cultivated in <strong>the</strong> gardens at Kew, but <strong>of</strong> uncertain<br />

origin. The species is considered by some as native<br />

to Jamaica <strong>and</strong> introduced in o<strong>the</strong>r places due to<br />

its showy flowers.<br />

Public forests: Maricao <strong>and</strong> Toro Negro.<br />

Commentary: This species forms hybrids with<br />

I. rep<strong>and</strong>a <strong>and</strong> produces plants with 5-digitate<br />

leaves <strong>and</strong> flowers very similar to those <strong>of</strong> I.<br />

rep<strong>and</strong>a. These are cultivated throughout <strong>the</strong><br />

tropics.<br />

7. Ipomoea imperati (Vahl) Griseb., Cat. Pl. Cub.<br />

203. 1866.<br />

Fig. 66. C-E<br />

BASIONYM: Convolvulus imperati Vahl<br />

SYNONYMS: Ipomoea stolonifera J. F. Gmel.<br />

Convolvulus littoralis L.<br />

Ipomoea littoralis (L.) Boiss, non Blume<br />

Erect herb or creeping or sometimes ascending<br />

vine, slightly woody, attaining 2 m in length, with<br />

milky latex. Stems cylindrical, slender, glabrous,<br />

producing adventitious roots in <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

nodes. Leaves alternate, usually clustered on short<br />

axillary branches; blades simple, 2-10 × 1-2.5 cm,<br />

lanceolate, oblong, or deltoid, sometimes<br />

subsagittate, lyrate, or deeply trilobed, fleshy when<br />

fresh, chartaceous on drying, glabrous, <strong>the</strong> apex<br />

obtuse, rounded, or sometimes emarginate,<br />

mucronate, <strong>the</strong> base cuneiform, truncate,<br />

subcordiform to subsagittate; upper surface dull,<br />

glabrous, with <strong>the</strong> veins flat; lower surface<br />

glabrous, with <strong>the</strong> primary <strong>and</strong> secondary veins<br />

prominent; petioles 1-6.5 cm long, sulcate, pilose<br />

at <strong>the</strong> apex. Flowers solitary or in ascending<br />

dichasial cymes; peduncles 1.5-4.5 cm long. Calyx

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