Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 357
1. Rubus florulentus Focke, Abh. Nat. Ver.
Bremen 11: 411. 1800.
Fig. 145. A-J
Fresa de la montaña
Clambering shrub or woody vine, climbing,
that supports itself by means of recurved spines
and attains 5-10 m in length. Stems cylindrical
or angular, more or less glabrous, with a reddish
tinge, with numerous recurved spines. Leaves
alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets 4-11 × 3.3-8 cm,
elliptical, ovate, broadly elliptical, or oblong, the
terminal leaflet larger than the lateral ones, the
apex obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate, the base
rounded, truncate, or subcordiform, the margins
serrate-mucronate; upper surface dark green,
shiny, with the venation sunken, the midvein
ferruginous-pubescent; lower surface pale green,
dull, with prominent venation, the midvein
yellowish, with recurved spines, puberulent,
especially alongside the midvein and at the base
40. Family RUBIACEAE
Key to the genera
of the secondary veins; petioles 2.5-6 cm long,
swollen at the base, spiny; rachis spiny, 1-3 cm
long; stipules linear, 3-4 mm long, adnate to the
petiole. Inflorescences of terminal racemes or
panicles; axes spiny, tomentose, up to 15 cm long;
pedicels 4-7 mm long, tomentose, spiny. Sepals
ovate, sericeous outside, free almost to the base,
ca. 5 mm long, mucronate at the apex; petals
white, obovate, 12-15 mm long; stamens
numerous, 3-4.5 mm long; styles glabrous, stigma
lateral on distal portion. Fruits aggregate, broadly
ovoid, 1.5-2 cm long, formed of numerous fleshy
achenes, dark violet in color.
Phenology: Flowering from February to
August.
Status: Endemic to Puerto Rico, not very
common.
Distribution: Known only from the Cordillera
Central, in Adjuntas, Jayuya, Maricao, and
Orocovis.
Public Forests: Guilarte, Maricao, and Toro
Negro.
1a. Twining vines or lianas ..................................................................................….. 2
1b. Herbs or scandent shrubs, not twining……......................................................... 3
2a. Fruits white, circular, laterally flattened; mature stems sulcate, with numerous vascular cylinders
…………….............................................................................................................. 1. Chioccoca
2b. Fruits red or wine-colored, ellipsoid or globose; mature stems terete with a single vascular cylinder
…………………………………………….……...…........................................................ 6. Sabicea
3a. Scandent shrubs or herbs, not bering aerial roots; corolla < 1 cm long ….................... 4
3.b. Shrubs climbing by means of aerial roots; corolla > 2 cm long ...............................… 6
4a. Leaves with a strong, fetid odor ….……………………………………….................... 4. Lasianthus
4b. Leaves without fetid smell .................................................................................................. 5
5a. Herbs; stems hispidulose, retrorsely pubescent along corners; fruits capsular, light
brown…........................................................................................................................... 2. Diodia
5b. Shrubs; stems glabrous, fruits of fleshy drupes, red …….............................................. 5. Psychotria
6a. Flowers solitary; tube of the corolla 6-10 cm long; fruit capsular, green, 5-12 cm long
.............................................................……………..........................….........................…. 3. Hillia
6b. Flowers in heads; tube of the corolla 1.5-2.5 cm long; fruit a berry, white, ca. 1.5 cm long
.…………………......................…..............................................….................… 7. Schradera