Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

282
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
throughout the Antilles, tropical continental
America.
Public Forests: Cambalache, Carite, Ceiba,
Guajataca, Guánica, Maricao, Mona, Río Abajo,
and Susúa.
Excluded Species:
Rhynchosia caribaea (Jacq.) DC. has been
cited for Puerto Rico by Liogier (1982, 1988), but
is excluded from the present work. This species
is native to Africa and very similar to R. minima,
with which it has been confused in the New World.
20. TERAMNUS
Herbaceous vines, twining, climbing, or creeping. Leaves alternate, trifoliolate; stipules subulate,
persistent; stipels minute. Inflorescences of axillary pseudoracemes; bracts small. Calyx campanulate,
with 4-5 lobes of similar size; corolla white, yellow, or lavender, the standard obovate, the wings
unguiculate, the keel shorter than the wings; stamens 10, monadelphous, the anthers unequal; ovary
superior, sessile, with numerous ovules, the style short, pubescent, the stigma capitate. Fruit a linear
legume, flattened, curved at the apex, dehiscent by valves that twist on opening; seeds numerous,
flattened, oblong. A genus of 8 species, of pantropical distribution.
Key to the species of Teramnus
1a. Stems pilose; leaflets elliptical, ovate to almost rounded, strigose on the lower surface; legume
pilose or glabrous, 2-5 cm long ....................………..…………………………..….1. T. labialis
1b. Stems tomentose or sericeous; leaflets oblong or lanceolate, sericeous on the lower surface; legume
ferruginous-tomentose, 4-7 cm long ........................…..………………..…2. T. uncinatus
1. Teramnus labialis (L.f.) Spreng., Syst. Veg.
3: 235. 1826.
Fig. 113. A-E
BASIONYM: Glycine labialis L.f.
Frijolillo
Twining vines, 3-5 m in length. Stems slender,
pilose, almost hirsute when young. Leaves
trifoliolate; leaflets 1.5-6.2 × 0.6-3.5 cm,
chartaceous, the apex mucronate, obtuse or
rounded, the base obtuse or rounded, the margins
ciliate; upper surface appressed-pubescent; lower
surface strigose; terminal leaflets elliptical; lateral
leaflets asymmetrical, elliptic-oblong or ellipticovate;
petiolules 2-3 mm long, pilose; stipules
lanceolate, up to 3 mm long; stipels ca. 1.5 mm
long, linear. Inflorescences of axillary
According to Grear (1978), R. caribaea has been
collected in Puerto Rico, and can be distinguished
from R. minima by its viscid-hirsute fruits and by
its larger flowers. The record of R. caribaea for
Puerto Rico is based on two collections made in
the nineteenth century, one of which was from a
cultivated plant. This species has not been
collected again in Puerto Rico, which suggests
that it was unable to establish itself or to become
naturalized. Rhynchosia caribaea is also
unknown in our gardens; for this reason, it is
excluded from our flora.
pseudoracemes that attain 11 cm long, the flowers
in pairs on the nodes of the rachis. Calyx
campanulate, 3-5 mm long, strigose; corolla
white, pink, or pale violet, the standard obovate,
ca. 5 mm long, the wings and the keel shorter
than the standard. Legume 2-5 × 0.3-0.4 cm,
linear, slightly flattened, strigulose, glabrescent,
with a curved beak at the apex, dehiscent by valves
that twist back in a spiral. Seeds 8-10, oblong,
2.5-3 mm long, reddish brown.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout
the year.
Status: Native, rather common.
Distribution: In disturbed areas such as
pastures, forest edges, and roadsides, at lower and
middle elevations. Also on Mona, Vieques, St.
Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin