Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

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Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
biternate; leaflets coriaceous, the margins
remotely serrate; upper surface glabrous, shiny,
with light green venation; lower surface light
green, dull, lineate, with the reticulate venation
slightly prominent; distal leaflets rhombate, 4-9
× 2-4.5 cm, the apex obtuse, retuse and sometimes
slightly mucronate, the base long-attenuate;
lateral leaflets oblong or elliptic, smaller than the
distal ones, the apex obtuse, apiculate, the base
acute or abruptly attenuate; rachis marginate;
petioles 2-5-4 cm long, naked, glabrous; stipules
minute, caducous; tendrils in pairs, spirally
twisted, at the end of short axillary axes, from
which an inflorescence usually develops.
Inflorescence of axillary thyrses; flowers
zygomorphic; calyx cream to whitish green;
corolla cream. Fruit reddish tinged, stramineous
when dry, splitting into 3 samaroid mericarps, 1.5-
2 cm long.
Phenology: Collected in fruit during March.
Status: Quite rare.
Distribution: Known in Puerto Rico from a
steril collection of Sintenis (6999) from the
vivinity of Utuado. Recently rediscoved in
Guajataca (Acevedo-Rdgz. 13462) and Bayamón
(Chinea s.n. and Acevedo-Rdgz. & Chinea 13751)
in late secondary forests on limestone substrate.
Also in Hispaniola, Cuba and the Bahamas.
Public Forests: Guajataca.
2. Serjania lucida Schum., Skr. Naturhist.-Selsk.
3(2): 128. 1794.
Fig. 151. A-F
SYNONYM: Paullinia curassavica sensu West, non L.
Bejuco de corrales, Bejuco de costilla, Basketwood,
Black whithe, Cabrite rotting, White
wist, Basket wiss, Black wiss
Woody vine that climbs by means of tendrils
and attains 6-10 m in length. Stems obtusely
pentagonal or hexagonal, sulcate, glabrous or
puberulent, producing abundant milky latex when
wounded; mature stems cylindrical, smooth,
deeply sulcate, light brown; cross section with a
central vascular cylinder and 5-6(8) peripheral
vascular cylinders. Leaves alternate, biternate (9
leaflets); leaflets coriaceous, the margins serrate
on the distal portion; upper surface glabrous,
shiny, with slightly prominent venation; lower
surface light green, dull, with the reticulate
venation slightly prominent, barbate in the axil
of the secondary veins, lineate; distal leaflets ovate
or lanceolate, 3.5-9 × 1.7-3.8 cm, the apex acute
or acuminate, the base rounded, abruptly
attenuate; lateral leaflets lanceolate, 1.7-5 × 0.8-
2.5 cm, the apex acute or obtuse, the base rounded
or abruptly attenuate; rachis marginate; petioles
1-4.5(8.5) long, not winged, glabrous; stipules
minute, caducous; tendrils in pairs, spirally
twisted, at the end of short axillary axes, from
which an inflorescence usually develops.
Inflorescences of axillary thyrses or forming a
panicle when they are terminal on the branches;
flowers zygomorphic, pedicellate, grouped in
lateral cincinni. Calyx light green or whitish
green, white-tomentose, of 5 sepals, 3-5 mm long.
Petals white, obovate, 4-5 mm long; petaliferous
appendages slightly shorter than the petals, fleshy,
yellow, and bifurcate at the apex; disc unilateral,
with 2-4 rounded or ovoid glands, pubescent at
the base; stamens 8, the filaments pilose; ovary
trilocular, tomentose. Mericarps samaroid, 1.5-
2.5 cm long, with a wing on the lower portion,
the seminiferous portion almost globose,
reticulate, tomentose, with a single brown,
ellipsoid seed inside.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from
November to April.
Status: Endemic to eastern Puerto Rico and
the Virgin Islands, rather common.
Distribution: On forest edges and roadsides,
in dry forests and coastal thickets. In eastern
(Ceiba) and northeastern (Vacía Talega to Fajardo)
Puerto Rico, to the Virgin Islands (Culebra,
Palominos, Vieques, Anegada, St. Croix, St. John,
St. Thomas, Tortola, Virgin Gorda).
Public Forests: Ceiba and Piñones.
3. Serjania polyphylla (L.) Radlk., Monogr.
Serjania 179. 1875.
Fig. 151. G-J
BASIONYM: Paullinia polyphylla L.
SYNONYMS: Paullinia triternata Jacq.
Serjania triternata (Jacq.) Willd.
Bejuco de corrales, Bejuco de costilla
Woody vine that climbs by means of tendrils
and attains 5-10(20) m in length. Stems
cylindrical, sulcate, puberulent, glabrescent,
producing abundant milky latex when wounded;
mature stems cylindrical, smooth, deeply sulcate,