Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

270
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
2a. Lower surface of leaflets sericeous-pubescent; corolla yellow…………….….2. M. sloanei
2b. Lower surface of leaflets glabrous; corolla bluish or violet-pink .…………..…3. M. urens
1. Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC., Prodr. 2: 405.
1825.
Fig. 108. A-E
BASIONYM: Dolichos pruriens L.
SYNONYM: Stizolobium pruriens (L.) Medic.
Pica-pica, Cow-itch
Slightly woody vine, twining, attainig 5-7 m
in length. Stems pubescent, cylindrical, striate,
glabrescent. Leaves alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets
chartaceous, the apex acute or obtuse, mucronate,
the upper surface dark green, dull, puberulent,
the lower surface pale green, strigulose, with
prominent venation, the margins slightly sinuate;
terminal leaflet rhombic-ovate, (5.5)7.5-15 × 4-6
cm, the base obtuse, rounded to almost cuneate;
lateral leaflets markedly asymmetrical, one side
oblong, the other ovate, 5)7.5-13(18) x (2.8)4.5-
7.2(10.3) cm, the base obtuse on one side, truncate
on the other; petiolules pubescent, 4-6 mm long;
rachis 1.2-2 cm long, strigose; petioles 4.5-16.5
cm long, strigose, with the base swollen; stipules
minute, caducous; stipels linear, 4-5 mm long.
Inflorescences of axillary pseudoracemes, 10-30
cm long, with 1-3 flowers per node. Calyx grayish
green, campanulate-asymmetrical, 1-1.5 cm long,
sericeous-pubescent, mixed with some stiff hairs,
the sepals unequal, triangular, deep; standard
ovate, 1.5-2 cm long, violet, the wings purple,
oblong, ca. 4 cm long, the keel pale violet;
staminal column almost white, exserted, the
anthers violet. Legume more or less cylindrical,
with the curved extremities forming an ‘s’, 4-10
× 1-1.4 cm, densely covered with stiff, extremely
stinging hairs, dehiscent by valves that open in a
spiral. Seeds ellipsoid, brown with black spots,
ca. 1 cm long, with a cream-colored hilum, ca. 5
mm long.
Phenology: Collected in flower from August
to April and in fruit from October to January.
Status: Probably native, rather common.
Distribution: In disturbed areas such as
pastures, forest edges, and roadsides, at lower and
middle elevations. Also on St. Croix; of
widespread distribution throughout the tropics.
Public Forests: Guajataca, Río Abajo, and
Susúa.
2. Mucuna sloanei Fawc. & Rendl., J. Bot. 55:
36. 1917.
Fig. 108. F-H
SYNONYMS: Dolichos urens Jacq., non L.
Mucuna urens sensu Urb., non (L.) DC.
Matos, Matos del monte, Ojo de buey
Twining liana attainig 10-15 m in length.
Stems cylindrical, strigulose. Leaves alternate,
trifoliolate; leaflets 8-12.5 × 5.7-7.5 cm,
chartaceous, the obtuse apex usually terminating
in a short acumen, the margins entire; upper
surface strigulose, dark green, dull; lower surface
pale green, dull, sericeous-pubescent (silvery),
with prominent venation; terminal leaflet oblongelliptical
or ovate, the base obtuse, rounded to
almost truncate; lateral leaflets very asymmetrical,
one side lanceolate, the other elliptical, the base
obtuse, truncate, or almost cordiform; petiolules
thickened, strigose, ca. 5 mm long; petioles
sulcate, glabrescent, up to 11 cm long; stipules
deciduous; stipels subulate, ca. 4 mm long.
Inflorescences of axillary pseudoracemes, short,
with few flowers at the end. Calyx yellowish
green, broadly campanulate, 1.5-2 cm long,
sericeous; corolla yellow, the standard 2.5-4 cm
long, the wings and the keel, elongate, falcate,
longer than the standard; style appressedpubescent.
Legume oblong, flattened, 8-18 × 4-5
cm, densely covered with stiff stinging hairs.
Seeds 2-4, circular, 2-3 cm long, brown with the
black hilum along ¾ of the circumference.
Phenology: Unknown.
Status: Native, uncommon.
Distribution: Known from few collections
from the western or central-western area (Aguada,
Mayagüez, Sabana Grande, Lares). Also in
Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola, some of the Lesser
Antilles, Central and South America.
Public Forests: Maricao and Susúa.
3. Mucuna urens (L.) DC., Prodr. 2: 405. 1825.
Fig. 108. I-M
BASIONYM: Dolichos urens L.
SYNONYM: Mucuna altissima (Jacq.) DC.
Tortera, Mato, Pica-pica, Ox-eye-bean