Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

350
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Status: Exotic, cultivated and spontaneous
(according to Liogier, 1985).
Distribution: Cultivated in Puerto Rico and
the Virgin Islands (St. Croix and St. Thomas),
although not very common. Native to Guatemala,
but cultivated in Central and South America as
well.
2. Antigonon leptopus Hook. & Arn., Bot.
Beechey Voy. 308, t. 69. 1838.
Fig. 142. G-M
Bellísima, Coralina, Coral, Coralillo,
Coral vine, Mexican creeper,
Coralita, Honeysuckle
Slightly woody vine that climbs by means of
tendrils and attains 5-13 m in length. Stems
puberulent, pentagonal, with many lateral
branches. Leaves alternate, ovate, triangularovate,
or almost lanceolate, chartaceous, 5-14.5
× 2-7 cm, the apex acute or acuminate, the base
cordiform or truncate, the margins crenulate,
sometimes ciliate; upper surface light green,
37. Family RANUNCULACEAE
1. CLEMATIS
slightly shiny, puberulent, with the venation
sunken; lower surface pale green, dull, puberulent
or glabrous, with prominent venation; petioles 1-
5 cm long, reddish, puberulent, cylindrical or
subwinged. Flowers bisexual, in axillary racemes
or terminal panicles, 10-20 cm long, puberulent,
terminating in a pair of spiral tendrils; pedicels
3-4(-10) mm long. Perianth 4-7 mm long, of 5
ovate or elliptical tepals, intense pink or white;
staminal column 2-3 mm long, of the same color
as the tepals. Achene ovoid, 5-8 mm long.
Phenology: Flowering throughout the year,
although more predominantly from June to
December.
Status: Exotic, naturalized, locally very
common.
Distribution: Originally cultivated, but
escaped and naturalized, very prolific. In disturbed
coastal areas, thickets, and dry forests. Also on
Vieques, Anegada, St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas,
and Tortola. Native to Mexico but widely
cultivated throughout the Antilles, South America,
and the tropics in general.
Public Forests: El Yunque and Río Abajo.
Woody vines that climb by means of twining leaves. Leaves opposite, trifoliolate, pinnate or biternate;
petioles elongate; stipules absent. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, actinomorphic, produced in cymes or
umbels, arranged in racemes; calyx of 4-5 free petaloid sepals; petals absent; stamens numerous, the
filaments free, the anthers dehiscent longitudinally; ovary superior, of numerous free carpels, with a
single ovule, the style terminal, slender, plumose. Fruit an achene with a persistent style, elongate and
plumose, dispersed by the wind. A genus of about 250 species, the great majority of which are of the
temperate zone.
Key to the species of Clematis
1a. Mature leaves trifoliolate…………………………………………………………………..2
1b. Mature leaves 5- or 9-foliolate.………………………..………..….….3. C. flammulastrum
2a. Plants essentially glabrous …………….……………………………………….1. C. dioica
2b. Plants pubescent ………..……………………….………………………….2. C. polygama