Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

230
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
14 × 2-8 cm, in general convex, the venation
pinnate, usually from near the base, the apex
acuminate, the base rounded or obtuse, the
margins entire or undulate, revolute; upper surface
dark green, shiny, with the venation generally
sunken, translucent and yellowish; lower surface
yellowish green, with the palmate venation
prominent; petioles 5-7 mm long, thick, rugose.
Inflorescences of terminal corymbiform racemes;
pedicels thick, 10-12 mm long. Calyx
campanulate, ca. 5 mm long, green, smooth, with
five minute lobes; corolla campanulate, early
deciduous, yellowish green, ca. 8 mm long, the
lobes ovate, ca. 5 mm long, reflexed; stamens 10,
the filaments white, flattened, adnate to the base
of the corolla, the anthers golden yellow, the distal
tube as long as the theca; ovary inferior, the style
simple, the stigma subcapitate. Fruit fleshy,
globose, 5-8 mm in diameter, cardinal red, with
the calyx persistent on the apical portion. Seeds
numerous, ca. 1 mm long, foveate, obtusetrigonal.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from June
to March.
Status: Native, rather common.
Distribution: From high and moist regions
along the Cordillera Central and the Sierra de
Luquillo. Also throughout the Antilles.
Public Forests: Carite, El Yunque, Guilarte,
and Toro Negro.
References: Luteyn, J.L. 1976. Notes on neotropical Vaccinieae (Ericaceae). 1. Gonocalyx-A genus
new to Central America. Brittonia 28: 37-41. Luteyn, J.L. and R.L. Wilbur. 1977. New genera and
species of Ericaceae (Vaccinieae) from Costa Rica and Panama. Brittonia 29: 255-276. Luteyn, J.L.
1996. Ericaceae. In: Harling, G. and L. Andersson (eds.) Flora of Ecuador. Vol. 54.
23. Family EUPHORBIACEAE
Key to the genera
1a. Inflorescences of cymes with two trilobate foliaceous bracts at the base, forming a pseudanthium;
staminate flowers with numerous stamens; leaves deeply trilobate (in our species)
…………….………..………………………….………………..................…1. Dalechampia
1b. Inflorescences of racemes, lacking foliaceous bracts; staminate flowers with 2-3 stamens; leaves
simple (in our species) ..………………………..……..………….....................………. 2. Tragia
1. DALECHAMPIA
Twining vines or less frequently shrubs, monoecious, usually covered with stinging hairs, producing
scarce watery latex when wounded. Leaves simple, alternate, 3-5-lobate, petiolate, with a pair of stipels
at the base of the blade; stipules present. Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic, apetalous, clustered in
bisexual cymes, with long peduncles and two foliaceous bracts, forming a pseudanthium. Staminate
flowers in distal cymules; bracteoles with numerous resinous glands; calyx 4-6-valvate; stamens
numerous, grouped on a short stipe to form a head, the anthers short, opening along longitudinal
sutures; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers in basal cymules; calyx with 8-12 lobes with glandular
margins; ovary superior, trilobate, tricarpellate, each carpel with a solitary ovule, the style simple, with
a capitate or peltate stigma. Fruit a trilobate capsule, with one seed per locule. A genus of about 100
species, mostly of the Neotropics.