Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 339
13. Passiflora suberosa L., Sp. Pl. 958. 1753.
Fig. 137. A-E
SYNONYM: Passiflora pallida L.
Parcha yedra, Indigo berry, Ink berry
Non-woody vine that climbs by means of
tendrils and attains 1-3 m in length. Stems slender,
cylindrical, pubescent or glabrous, usually with a
reddish tinge; mature stems with 4 longitudinal
wings, of cork or corky material. Leaves alternate,
chartaceous, glabrous, 4-15 × 4-10 cm, extremely
variable in form, trilobate, lanceolate, ovate,
linear, or elliptical, with 3 or 5 main veins that
are borne from the base, the lobes more or less
deep, oblong, ovate to almost linear, the central
lobe longer than the lateral ones, the apex obtuse
or acute, the base cordiform, rounded, or obtuse,
sometimes peltate, the margins slightly revolute,
ciliate; upper surface shiny, glabrous or
puberulent; lower surface glabrous or pubescent,
with slightly prominent venation; petioles 15-20
mm long, glabrous or pubescent, sulcate, reddish,
with a pair of minute glands above the middle;
tendrils axillary, simple, glabrous; stipules
filiform, ca. 5 mm. Flowers erect, solitary or in
pairs, axillary; pedicels articulate, 15-20 mm long;
bracts absent. Sepals 5, lanceolate, 8-13 mm long,
green outside, whitish or light green on the inner
surface; petals absent; corona biseriate, the
segments mulberry-colored, shorter than the
sepals; gynophore cylindrical, ca. 5 mm long;
stamens 5, green, ascendent; ovary ellipsoid,
green, the styles reflexed, the stigmas capitate.
Fruit an ovoid or ellipsoid berry, 10-12 mm long,
dark violet when ripe. Seeds numerous, ellipsoid,
ca. 3 mm long, covered by a green pulp.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting throughout
the year.
Status: Native, very common.
Distribution: In disturbed areas, on roadsides,
in thickets, and in coastal forests. Also on Caja
de Muerto, Cayo Santiago, Culebra, Desecheo,
Icacos, Mona, Vieques, Anegada, St. Croix, St.
John, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda;
throughout the Antilles, tropical America, and
introduced in the tropics of the Old World.
Public Forests: Cambalache, Guajataca,
Guánica, Maricao, Mona, Piñones, Río Abajo, and
Susúa.
14. Passiflora tulae Urb., Symb. Antill. 1: 374.
1899.
Fig. 137. F-H
Tagua-tagua serrana, Flor de pasión
Slightly woody vine that climbs by means of
tendrils and attains 4-5 m in length. Stems slender,
angular, green or mulberry-colored, striate,
glabrous or puberulent on the younger portions.
Leaves alternate, coriaceous, semicircular or
semielliptical, sometimes in the form of a
boomerang, 3-8 × 2.5-9 cm, with three main veins
that are borne from the base, the apex more or
less truncate, with two or three rounded lobes,
the base rounded, the margins sinuate; upper
surface dark green, shiny, glabrous, with the veins
sunken; lower surface pale green, dull, puberulent,
with prominent venation, with a row of circular
glands on each side of the midvein; petioles 1.5-
3 cm long, cylindrical, smooth, not glandular;
tendrils axillary, simple, longer than the leaves.
Flowers solitary or in pairs on an axillary
peduncle, 3-5 cm long; sepals 5, oblong, 3-4 ×
0.7 cm, pink-violet; petals ca. 3 cm long, oblong,
of the same color as the sepals; corona tubular,
orange, ca. 1.5 cm long; gynophore ca. 3 cm long.
Fruit a globose or ellipsoid berry, green, 1-2 cm
long, with the sepals persistent at the base.
Phenology: Flowering from December to April
and fruiting from February to June.
Status: Endemic to Puerto Rico, not very
common.
Distribution: Along the Cordillera Central and
in some localities in the zone of mogotes.
Public Forests: Carite, Guilarte, Maricao, and
Río Abajo.
Excluded Species:
Passiflora anadenia Urb. is excluded from the
flora of Puerto Rico, since the report of this species
is based on the erroneous identification of a
collection of Passiflora bilobata from Guánica.
Reference: Killip, E. P., 1938. The American species of Passifloraceae. Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist.
Bot. Ser. 19: 1-613.