Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 207
broadly ovate, or trilobed, the lobes obtuse, the
base cordiform or lyrate, the margins denticulate;
upper surface dull, scabrid; lower surface pale
green, dull, scabrid, with prominent venation and
hispidulous; petioles 1-9 cm long, sulcate, hispid.
Staminate flowers in axillary fascicles; pistillate
flowers solitary; calyx campanulate, yellowish
green, 2.8-4(5.6) mm long, hispidulous, the lobes
linear to triangular, 1.2-3.6 mm long; corolla
yellow, infundibuliform, 7-1.4 mm long, the lobes
obtuse. Berry ellipsoid, smooth, 4.5-5.5 cm long,
green with whitish spots, turning yellow-orange
5. CUCURBITA
when ripe, the pulp extremely bitter; seeds
numerous, elliptical, cream-colored, 4-5 mm long.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout
the year.
Status: Exotic, naturalized, uncommon.
Distribution: In disturbed areas at lower
elevations, collected in Gurabo and Lajas. An
African species that has given rise to several races
with edible fruits through artificial selection.
Among these are the “cantaloupe” and the
“honeydew.”
Herbaceous vines, annual, monoecious, creeping or climbing by axillary tendrils; stems sulcate,
producing watery latex; tendrils axillary, with 2-5 branches. Leaves alternate, petiolate; blades subentire,
rounded or deeply lobed; stipules absent. Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic, solitary, the staminate
flowers also in axillary fascicles; calyx campanulate, rarely cylindrical, with (4-)5(-7) minute lobes;
corolla campanulate, deeply lobed; stamens 3, the filaments fleshy, inserted at the base of the floral
receptacle, the anthers linear, connate into a cylindrical column; ovary inferior, 3-5-locular, with
numerous horizontal ovules, the style simple, short, with 3-5 stigmatic branches, bilobed or bifurcate.
Fruit a fleshy, fibrous, or woody berry, large; seeds numerous, elliptical. A New World genus of about
30 species, some of which are widely cultivated for their edible fruits.
1. Cucurbita moschata Duchesne ex Poir., Dict.
Sci. Nat. 11: 234. 1818.
Fig. 83. A-B
Herbaceous vine, creeping or climbing by
axillary tendrils, 5-10 m in length. Stems
branched from the base and along the main stems,
flexible, angular, pubescent with soft or slightly
rigid hairs, elongate, not pungent; tendrils with
4 branches, pilose, shorter than the petiole. Leaves
alternate; blades 15-25 × 15-25 cm, broadly ovate,
slightly lobed, the lobes obtuse, the apex obtuse,
the base cordiform or hastate, the margins finely
serrate; upper surface puberulous, usually with
irregular whitish spots; lower surface shortpubescent,
with prominent venation; petioles 11-
39 cm long, striate, puberulous to densely
pubescent, with unicelular hairs intermingled with
multicellular trichomes. Flowers solitary; calyx
campanulate, yellowish green, 3.5-4 cm long,
hirsute, the lobes linear to oblong, 2.5-3 cm long;
corolla brilliant yellow, campanulate, 7-9 cm long,
the lobes obtuse, revolute; peduncle thick, angular,
sulcate. Berry variable, soft or hard, depressedglobose
to globose, green, turning yellowish when
ripe, 25-30 cm long; mesocarp orange, fleshy,
thick; seeds numerous, elliptical, 1.5-2 cm long,
cream-colored to light brown.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout
the year.
Status: Exotic, cultivated and naturalized,
common.
Distribution: On roadsides, along trails, and
in pastures.
Public forests: Maricao, Piñones, and Río
Abajo.
Commentary: In Puerto Rico two other species
of Cucurbita (C. pepo L. and C. maxima Duchesne
ex Lam.) have been reported; nevertheless, these
are rarely cultivated and are not found naturalized
in Puerto Rico (pers. comm. Dr. Linda Beaver,
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus).