Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 329
venation; petioles 2-3(6) mm long, canaliculate,
without glands; stipules subulate, 2.5-4 mm long;
tendrils simple, filamentous. Flowers axillary,
solitary or in pairs; the bracts subulate, alternate,
not forming an involucre; peduncle 8-11 mm long,
articulated near the apex. Sepals subulate, green
or whitish, 6-7 mm long; petals pale green or
whitish, subulate, ca. 3 mm long; corona of two
series of filiform filaments, the outer ones longer,
yellowish, the inner ones much shorter than the
outer ones, green; gynophore ca. 3 mm long,
tubular; stamens 5; ovary ellipsoid, the styles
recurved, the stigmas capitate. Fruit a fleshy berry,
globose (fide Liogier, 1994), ca. 7 mm in diameter.
Phenology: Collected in flower in September
and December.
Status: Native, extremely rare.
Distribution: Known from two collections
from Guánica, in dry forests and thickets of the
south coast. Also in Hispaniola.
Public Forest: Guánica.
2. Passiflora bilobata Juss., Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat.
Paris 6: 107. 1805.
Fig. 132. E-I
Herbaceous vine, attainig 0.5-2 m in length
and climbs by means of axillary tendrils. Stems
slender, angular, striate, glabrous or puberulent.
Leaves alternate, in the form of a horseshoe or a
‘v’, with three main veins, coriaceous, with two
divergent lobes, forming an angle of 45-93°
between the, the lobes oblanceolate, oblong, or
linear, 2.2-6.5 × 0.4-1.4 cm, with rounded or
acuminate apices, the base cuneate or rounded,
the margin undulate, revolute; upper surface
puberulent; lower surface glabrous, with
prominent venation; petioles 3-5 mm long,
canaliculate, without glands; stipules filiform, ca.
4 mm long; tendrils simple, filamentous. Flowers
axillary, in pairs; the bracts subulate, not forming
an involucre; peduncle ca. 10 mm long, articulated
near the apex. Sepals oblong, green, 4-6 mm long;
petals pale green, oblong, as long as the sepals;
corona of two series of filiform filaments, pale
green, as long as the sepals; gynophore ca. 2 mm
long, tubular; stamens 5; ovary claviform, the
styles recurved, the stigmas capitate. Fruit a fleshy
berry, ovoid or globose, 1-1.4 cm long, almost
black, dull. Seeds numerous, elliptical, ca. 2.3 mm
long, with transverse striae.
Phenology: Collected in flower in October and
January and in fruit in January.
Status: Native, uncommon.
Distribution: In dry forests and thickets of the
south coast. Also in Hispaniola.
Public Forest: Guánica, Maricao, and Susúa.
3. Passiflora edulis Sims, Bot. Mag. 45: t. 1989.
1818.
Fig. 133. A-G
Parcha, Water lemon, Passion fruit.
Woody vine, glabrous, attainig 5-10 m in
length and climbs by means of axillary tendrils.
Stems cylindrical, attaining 2 cm in diameter.
Leaves alternate, glabrous, coriaceous, 7-12 × 9-
15 cm, deeply trilobate, the lobes oblong or
elliptical, the apex acute, the base cordiform, the
margins serrate; upper surface dark green, slightly
shiny, with the venation yellowish; lower surface
pale green, with prominent venation; petioles 3-
6 cm long, with a pair of prominent sessile glands
in the area where they join the blade; stipules
filiform, ca. 5 mm long; tendrils simple. Flowers
solitary, pendulous, axillary, subtended by an
involucre of 3 ovate bracts, ca. 2 cm long;
peduncle 4-6 cm long. Sepals oblong, green,
whitish on the inner surface, 3-3.5 cm long; petals
oblong, white on the inner surface, 2.5-3 cm long;
corona with two series of appendages, with violet
bands; gynophore green, ovoid, lobate, 5-7 mm
long; stamens 5; ovary ellipsoid, green, the styles
slightly reflexed, the stigmas capitate. Fruit ovoid,
5-7 cm long, yellow when ripe, the pericarp
coriaceous, thick. Seeds numerous, black,
elliptical, foveate, ca. 5 mm long, covered with a
juicy orange matrix.
Phenology: Flowering from April to October
and fruiting from June to December.
Status: Exotic, cultivated and naturalized, very
common.
Distribution: In disturbed areas of secondary
vegetation. Native to South America, but
cultivated throughout the tropics for its edible
fruits.
Public Forests: El Yunque, Maricao, Río
Abajo, Susúa, and Toro Negro.