Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 235
Phenology: Flowering from March to August
and fruiting in June.
Status: Native, rather common.
Distribution: Along the sandy coasts of the
littoral zone. Also on Caja de Muerto, Cayo
Ratones, Culebra, Icacos, Mona, Vieques,
Anegada, St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Tortola,
and Virgin Gorda; the Bahamas, Hispaniola, and
throughout the Lesser Antilles.
Public Forests: Guánica, Mona, and Piñones.
3. Caesalpinia culebrae (Britton & Wilson)
Alain, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 90: 187. 1963.
Fig. 94. G
BASIONYM: Guilandina culebrae Britton & Wilson
Scandent shrub, with many lateral branches
along the main stem, attainig 2 m in length. Stems
cylindrical, unarmed, finely pubescent. Leaves
bipinnate, paripinnate, ca. 22 × 14 cm; pinnae 7-
8 pairs, opposite; leaflets 5-7 pairs per pinna,
opposite, 1-1.5 × 0.9-1.4 cm, elliptical or ellipticobovate,
chartaceous, the apex rounded,
emarginate, the base unequal, one side rounded,
the other obtuse, the margins entire, revolute,
ciliate; upper surface glabrous, slightly punctate;
lower surface puberulent, with the midvein
prominent; petiolules short, tomentulose; petioles
and rachis unarmed, tomentulose; stipules minute,
deciduous. Flowers in axillary racemes, 6-10 cm
long; rachis tomentulose; bracts lanceolate, with
the apex caudate, ca. 4 mm long, deciduous. Calyx
campanulate, ca. 8 mm long, tomentose, the sepals
reflexed, oblong. Petals yellow, 7-8 mm long,
spathulate. Legumes elliptic-circular, ca. 7 × 4
cm, flattened, unarmed, apiculate at the apex.
Seeds globose, ca. 1.7 cm in diameter, yelloworange.
Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit in
March.
Status: Endemic, known from Culebra from
very few collections.
Distribution: Sandy dunes on Culebra and
Cayo Diablo.
4. Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alst. in
Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 6, Suppl. 89.
1931.
Fig. 95. A-C
BASIONYM: Reichardia decapetala Roth
SYNONYMS: Caesalpinia sepiaria Roxb.
Biancaea sepiaria (Roxb.) Todaro
Zarza de cercas, Zarza
Vine or woody shrub, scandent, attainig 2-3
m in length. Stems puberulent, striate, cylindrical,
with numerous lenticels and recurved spines,
attaining up to 2 cm in diameter. Leaves bipinnate,
paripinnate, 30-45 cm long; pinnae 4-10 pairs,
opposite; leaflets 7-12 pairs, opposite,
chartaceous, oblong, 8-25 × 8-10 mm, the apex
rounded or retuse, the base obtuse to rounded, the
margins entire; upper surface dark green, dull;
lower surface pale green, dull, punctate, with the
midvein prominent, scattered-pubescent,
especially along the midvein; petiolules minute;
rachis usually with a reddish tinge, spiny,
pubescent; petioles spiny, ca. 7 cm long, with the
base broadened; stipules triangular, ca. 1 mm
long, caducous. Flowers in subaxillary or terminal
racemes, up to 35 cm long; rachis unarmed or
with some minute spines at the base, pubescent,
with stipitate glands; pedicels 2-2.5 cm long;
bracts minute. Calyx green, the sepals oblong, ca.
1 cm long, except for one that is almost twice the
size of the other four. Petals yellow, almost
rounded, 1-1.5 cm long; stamens exserted,
filaments unequal, pubescent on the lower half;
ovary pubescent. Legume woody, oblong, ca. 7 ×
2 cm, dehiscent along the upper suture. Seeds
oblong, ca. 1 cm long, dark brown.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from
September to June.
Status: Exotic, naturalized, common.
Distribution: On roadsides, along rivers, or
in pastures, at lower and middle elevations. Native
to India, but naturalized throughout the
Neotropics and western Africa.
Public Forests: Maricao, Río Abajo, and Toro
Negro.
5. Caesalpinia major (Medic.) Dandy & Exell,
J. Bot. Brit. & For. 76: 180. 1938.
Fig. 95. D-F
BASIONYM: Bonduc majus Medic.
SYNONYMS: Guilandina bonduc sensu Britton & Wilson,
& Urb.
Caesalpinia globerulum Bakh. f. & van Royen
Liana or scandent shrub, which attains 15 m
in length. Stems cylindrical, up to 2.5 cm in