Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 227
References: Aymard, G.A., 1998. Dilleniaceae. In: Steyermark et al. (eds.), Flora of the Venezuelan
Guayana. Vol. 4; Aymard, G.A. 1997. Dilleniaceae Nova Neotropicae, V. El género Doliocarpus en
Colombia. Anal. Jardín Bot. Madrid 55: 17-30; Hunter, G.E. 1965. Flora of Panama Part VI. Family
118. Dilleniaceae. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 52: 580-598; Kubitzki, K. 1971. Doliocarpus, Davilla
und verwandte Gattungen (Dilleniaceae). Mitt. Bot. München 9: 1-105.
22. Family ERICACEAE
Key to the genera
1a. Corolla tubular or tubular-campanulate, 1.4-1.8 cm long, white, pink, or red; leaves rounded or
rounded-ovate, 1-2.7 cm long, the lateral veins inconspicuous; flowers solitary (in our
species)…………………………..…………………………………………........…1. Gonocalyx
1b. Corolla campanulate, 6-8 mm long, yellowish green; leaves 4-11 cm long, usually ovate, with the
secondary and tertiary veins visible; flowers in terminal racemes ………...…. 2. Vaccinium
1. GONOCALYX
Epiphytic or terrestrial shrubs, erect or clambering. Leaves alternate, entire, coriaceous, shortpetiolate.
Inflorescences of terminal racemes or the flowers solitary or in pairs. Flowers bisexual,
actinomorphic. Calyx tubular or tubular-campanulate, ribbed or smooth, with 4-5 lobes at the apex;
corolla campanulate to tubular, red, pink, or white, with 4-5 lobes; stamens 8-10, the filaments shorter
than the anthers, adnate to the base of the corolla, the anthers with two thecae, whose distal portion is
elongate and tubular, with a terminal pore or with longitudinal sutures; disc 10-lobate; ovary inferior,
4-5-locular, the style terminal, single, the stigma truncate. Fruit a berry, usually with 4-5 longitudinal
ribs; seeds numerous, minute. A genus of 8 species, distributed in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Lesser
Antilles, Costa Rica, and Colombia.
Key to the species of Gonocalyx
1a. Calyx green; corolla tubular-cylindrical, white or pink, with the lobes erect; stigma white, slightly
exserted; leaves rounded or ovate-elliptical, the margins markedly revolute (the blade convex), the
apex rounded .……………………………………………...............................…2. G. portoricensis
1b. Calyx red; corolla tubular-campanulate or campanulate, red, with the lobes expanded; stigma red,
exserted; leaves ovate, ovate-elliptical, or rarely rounded, the margins slightly revolute (the blade
almost flat), the apex acute or obtuse .….……………………………..............1. G. concolor
1. Gonocalyx concolor Nevling, J. Arn. Arb.
51: 222. 1970.
Fig. 92. A-D
Epiphytic or terrestrial shrub, usually
clambering, attainig 5 m in length. Stems much
branched, slender, cylindrical, dark brown, the
twigs minutely dense-pubescent. Leaves alternate,
ovate, ovate-elliptical, or less frequently rounded,
flat, rigid-coriaceous, 1.5-2.7 × 1-2 cm, the apex
obtuse or acute, sometimes rounded, mucronate,
the base obtuse or rounded, the margins slightly
revolute or flat, entire or crenulate; upper surface
glabrous, with the midvein sunken; lower surface