Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 263
Non-woody vine, twining, attainig 2 m in
length. Stems slender, green, appressedpubescent,
glabrous when mature. Leaves
alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets 1-3 × 0.7-2.1 cm,
subcoriaceous, elliptical to rounded, involute, the
apex emarginate, rounded, mucronate, the base
rounded, the margins entire; upper surface dark
green, slightly shiny, puberulent; lower surface
pale green, dull, pubescent, with the midvein
prominent; petioles 0.5-2 cm long; stipules
lanceolate, 2-3 mm long; stipels subulate.
Inflorescences of axillary pseudoracemes, of one
or a few flowers; rachis 1-2.5 cm long, pubescent;
flowers 1-3, clustered on the swellings of the
rachis; bracts minute, persistent. Calyx almost
campanulate, green, pilose, 8-12 mm long, the
sepals unequal; corolla brilliant red, the standard
elliptical, 14-18 mm long, reflexed, the wings and
the keel as long as the standard; style white.
Legume 5-6 × 0.5-0.6 cm, oblong-linear, flattened,
slightly curved, pubescent, with the margins
slightly sinuate. Seeds ca. 5 mm long, reniform,
dark brown, shiny.
Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit from
December to February.
Status: Endemic, uncommon.
Distribution: In coastal thickets or in areas of
disturbed vegetation, along the littoral zone.
Endemic to Guana Island, St. John, St. Thomas,
and Tortola.
3. Galactia longifolia (Jacq.) Benth., Ann.
Wien. Mus. 2: 127. 1838.
Fig. 105. I-L
BASIONYM: Galega longifolia Jacq.
Decumbent herb, branched from the base, the
branches twining in the distal portion, attaining
2 m in length. Stems slender, cylindrical,
sericeous, glabrescent with age. Leaves alternate,
trifoliolate; leaflets 2-6.5 × 0.4-1(1.3) cm,
subcoriaceous, linear, oblong or narrowly
elliptical, the apex obtuse or acute, mucronate,
the base rounded, the margins entire; upper
surface dark green, dull, strigulose; lower surface
pale green, dull, strigose to almost sericeous, with
the midvein prominent, the lateral leaflets smaller
than the terminal one; petioles slender, pubescent,
1-10 mm long; rachis pubescent, longer than the
petiole; stipules subulate, 1.5-3 mm long; stipels
subulate, ca. 1 mm long, deciduous. Inflorescences
of reduced, axillary pseudoracemes, usually with
a single flower; rachis 1.7-5 cm long, strigulose
or glabrescent. Calyx almost campanulate, green,
strigose or strigulose, 3.5-5.5 mm long, the sepals
4, elongate, lanceolate, acuminate; corolla pink
to pale violet, the standard obovate, 5-7 mm long,
reflexed, the wings and the keel as long as the
standard. Legume 2.5-3.7 × ca. 0.4 cm, oblonglinear,
flattened, slightly curved, appressedpubescent.
Seeds ca. 2.8 mm long, elliptical, light
brown.
Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit from
March to September.
Status: Apparently native, but known from
very few collections.
Distribution: Known only from the Guayama
area. Also in Hispaniola, the Lesser Antilles, the
United States (Texas), and the Gran Chaco of
Argentina and Paraguay.
4. Galactia striata (Jacq.) Urb., Symb. Antill.
2: 320. 1900.
Fig. 105. M-O
BASIONYM: Glycine striata Jacq.
SYNONYMS: Galactia striata (Jacq.) Urb. var. tomentosa
(Bertol.) Urb.
Galactia berteriana DC.
Galactia striata (Jacq.) Urb. var. berteriana (DC.) Urb.
Slightly woody vine, twining, attainig 2-5 m
in length. Stems slender, pubescent. Leaves
alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets 3-6 × 2-3 cm,
elliptical or ovate, chartaceous, the apex rounded
or less frequently obtuse, mucronate, the base
rounded, the margins entire; upper surface dark
green, dull, pubescent; lower surface pale green,
dull, pilose or velutinous, with prominent
venation; petiolules thickened, ca. 4.5 cm long,
pubescent; stipels minute; rachis ca. 1 cm long;
stipules filiform, ca. 3 mm long, pubescent.
Inflorescences of axillary pseudoracemes; rachis
4-14 cm long; flowers 2-3, grouped on the
swellings along the rachis; bracts minute,
persistent. Calyx green, ca. 1 cm long, pubescent,
the sepals 4, one of them larger; corolla pink or
lavender, the standard 8-10 mm long, elliptical,
purple with white lines, yellow at the base on the
inner surface, the wings and the keel as long as
the standard. Legume 4-8 × 0.6-0.9 cm, oblong,
flattened, pubescent, the apex with a recurved