Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 317
the margins entire; upper surface with slightly
prominent venation; lower surface with the
reticulate venation prominent; petioles 1-7 cm
long, glabrous, canaliculate; stipules conical,
glabrous, with a reddish tinge. Syconium globose,
depressed-globose, or obovoid, 6-12 mm long,
greenish yellow, with reddish spots, turning red
when ripe; peduncles 4-8 mm long.
Phenology: Collected in fertile condition
during August.
Status: Native, rather common.
Distribution: Although this is a tree of
widespread distribution, the lianescent form has
only been documented for the zone of mogotes in
Puerto Rico. The arboreal form is also found on
Caja de Muerto, Culebra, Desecheo, Mona,
Vieques, Anegada, Jost van Dyke, St. Croix, St.
John, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; the
United States (Florida), the Greater and Lesser
Antilles.
Public Forests: Mona and Río Abajo.
Commentary: The lianescent form of this
species grows on the tops and sides of mogotes
and produces long stems that hang down and
reach the base of the mogotes. Once the stems
have reached the base of the mogotes, they become
creeping or scandent. It is possible that this growth
form results from the etiolation of the stems due
to the low light intensity, and that it does not
constitute a fixed characteristic for this species.
Nevertheless, this phenomenon has been observed
rather frequently, which justifies the inclusion of
this species in the present work.
30. Family NYCTAGINACEAE
Key to the genera
2. Ficus pumila L., Sp. Pl. 1060. 1753.
Fig. 127. D-L
Hiedra
Plant with the juvenile phase morphologically
different from the adult phase. Juvenile plant
attaining several meters in length, much
branched, climbing by means of adventitious
roots; stems flattened; leaves 1.5-2.5 cm long,
ovate to oblong, retuse at the apex, very closely
spaced. Adult plant developing into a much
branched liana, with adventitious roots, attainig
10 m in length and produces abundant white latex
when wounded. Stems flattened, striate,
tomentose, glabrescent when mature, with short
pendulous branches. Leaves alternate, simple, 4-
7 × 2.2-4 cm, oblong, oblanceolate, ovate, or
elliptical, the apex obtuse, the base subcordiform,
the margins entire; upper surface dark green,
slightly shiny, with the venation notably lighter;
lower surface light green, dull, with prominent
reticulate venation; petioles 1.3-1.6 cm long,
flattened on the upper surface, pubescent, light
brown; stipules oblong-lanceolate to subulate,
persistent, 1-1.2 cm long, brown, sericeous.
Syconium green, pyriform, up to 6 cm long, soft.
Apparently not forming seeds in Puerto Rico.
Phenology: Collected in ‘flower’ during
February.
Status: Exotic, ornamental, common.
Distribution: A plant widely cultivated in
Puerto Rico.
Public Forests: El Yunque and Maricao.
1a. Herbaceous plants that attain 2-3 m in length; anthocarps (fruits) with a ring of stipitate glands on
the distal portion .................……………………………..…………………............ 1. Boerhavia
1b. Woody plants that attain 10 m or more in length; anthocarps lacking glands or with 5 or 10
longitudinal lines of stipitate glands…………………………………………………...............…. 2
2a. Leaves alternate; branches cylindrical; flowers produced in threes, each of which is subtended by a
foliaceous bract of various colors (white, pink, red, or orange); flowers bisexual, 2-2.5 cm long,
hypocrateriform, the tube angular, compressed in the central portion, the lobes revolute; stamens
not exposed ..............................................………..........................2. Bougainvillea