Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 187
Slightly woody vine, twining, branched from
the base, attaining 2 m in length and not
producing latex. Stems cylindrical, slender,
densely covered with white trifid hairs when
young. Leaves alternate; blades simple, 3-6 × 1.5-
3.7 cm, lanceolate, chartaceous, sparsely covered
with white trifid hairs on both surfaces, the apex
obtuse, acute, or mucronate, the base cordiform,
rounded, obtuse, or truncate, the margins revolute;
upper surface dark green; lower surface pale
green, with prominent venation; petioles slender,
pubescent, 1.5-4 cm long, canaliculate. Flowers
sparse, in elongate cymes; peduncles 2-4 cm long;
bracts subulate, ca. 5 mm long. Calyx green,
crateriform, the sepals unequal, 4-5 mm long,
ovate or rounded, glabrous; corolla
hypocrateriform, crimson, 2-2.5 cm long, with 5
deep lobes, expanded, obtuse, mucronate at the
apex; stamens and stigmas white, exserted.
Capsules ovoid or conical, 7-8 mm in diameter,
brown, with the sepals persistent at the base; seeds
obtusely triangular, ca. 4 mm long, brown,
glabrous, with a short marginal wing at the
vertices.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from
November to February.
Status: Native, uncommon.
Distribution: In dry forests and thickets of the
littoral zone. Also on Mona, Vieques, St. Croix,
St. John, and St. Thomas; the Lesser Antilles.
Public forests: Guajataca, Guánica, Mona,
Piñones, and Río Abajo.
6. Jacquemontia tamnifolia (L.) Griseb., Fl. Brit.
W. I. 5: 474. 1862.
Fig. 74. I-K
BASIONYM: Ipomoea tamnifolia L.
SYNONYM: Thyella tamnifolia (L.) Raf.
Aguinaldo peludo
Slightly woody vine, twining, climbing, or
creeping, attaining 5 m in length, with watery
latex. Stems cylindrical, slender, hirsute or
glabrescent, with malpighiaceous or simple hairs.
Leaves alternate; blades simple, 3-10 × 1.5-3.7
cm, ovate, chartaceous, the apex acute or
acuminate, the base truncate to cordiform, the
margins entire or sinuate; upper surface green,
punctate; lower surface pale green, with
prominent venation; petioles slender, pubescent
or glabrous, 1-4 cm long. Flowers in compact
cymes, forming a head; peduncles longer than the
petioles; bracts foliaceous, ovate, ca. 2.5 cm long,
forming an involucre. Calyx green, the sepals
lanceolate, 10-15 mm long, hirsute, acuminate at
the apex; corolla white, turning lavender or pale
blue, infundibuliform, as long as the sepals;
stamens and stigmas white, not exserted. Capsules
globose, 4-5 mm long, light brown, glabrous, with
the sepals persistent at the base; seeds obtusely
triangular, ca. 2 mm long, light brown, glabrous.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from
November to February.
Status: Native, uncommon.
Distribution: In thickets and dry forests of the
littoral zone. Also in the southeastern United
States, Cuba, Hispaniola, the Bahamas, the Lesser
Antilles, Central America, South America, Africa,
and the Mascarenes.
Public forests: Boquerón and Guajataca.
7. Jacquemontia verticillata (L.) Urb., Symb.
Antill. 3: 339. 1902.
Fig. 74. L-N
BASIONYM: Ipomoea verticillata L.
Slightly woody vine, twining, 1-2 m in length,
with watery latex. Stems cylindrical, slender,
appressed-pubescent, with white trifid hairs.
Leaves alternate; blades simple, 2.2-4.2 × 0.7-
1.5 cm, lanceolate, chartaceous, the apex obtuse,
acute, or mucronate, the base cordiform, the
margins entire or repand, appressed-pubescent on
both surfaces; upper surface dark green; lower
surface pale green, with the venation
inconspicuous; petioles slender, pubescent or
glabrous, 0.7-1 cm long. Flowers in compact
dichasial cymes, sessile or subsessile; bracts
minute. Calyx green, the sepals subequal, 2-3 mm
long, ovate-lanceolate, pubescent or glabrous,
acuminate at the apex; corolla pink, lavender, or
rarely white, infundibuliform, ca. 6 mm long, the
limb deeply 5-lobed; stamens not exserted;
stigmas exserted. Capsules ellipsoid, ca. 4 mm
long, brown, with the sepals persistent at the base;
seeds obtusely triangular, ca. 2 mm long, brown,
glabrous.
Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit in
November and December.
Status: Native, rare.