Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

392
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
minutely puberulent; stipules absent. Leaves
opposite, 7.5-15.5 × 5.7-8 cm, elliptical or ovate,
chartaceous, the apex acuminate, the base rounded
or cordiform, the margins entire or remotely
sinuate; upper surface glabrous; lower surface
glabrous, pale green, with numerous dots, the
veins prominent and minutely puberulent; petioles
1-2 cm long, sulcate, puberulent. Inflorescences
of axillary dichasial cymes; bracts minute,
subulate. Calyx more or less urceolate, 1.0-1.5
cm long, intense pink to purple, puberulent, the
sepals lanceolate, connate at the base, acuminate
at the apex; corolla red or red-orange,
hypocrateriform, 2.5-3 cm long, the tube quite
narrow, the lobes rounded; filaments pink, twice
as long as the corolla; style pink, as long as the
filaments. Fruit unknown.
Phenology: Collected in flower from
September to February.
Status: Exotic, cultivated, persistent and
naturalized in some localities in Puerto Rico.
Distribution: Common in gardens in Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Islands. Cultivated
throughout the tropics.
Public Forests: Río Abajo and Tortuguero.
Commentary: Discrepancies exist regarding
the nature of this taxon. Originally (1869), it was
described as a hybrid under the name of C. x
speciosum. Later, Voss (1894) considered this
taxon as a form of C. thomsonae and Moldenke
(1937) as a variety of C. umbellatum Poir.
Moldenke, in 1983, changed his opinion,
recognizing it as a form of C. thomsonae, but
pointed out that the studies necessary to discard
its hybrid nature do not yet exist. Due to the fact
2. CONGEA
that the nature of this taxon has not been
established with certainty, it seems to me
appropriate to utilize the name of C. x speciosum,
this being the most widely used name.
3. Clerodendrum thomsonae Balf. , Edinburgh
New Philos. J. 15(2): 233, t. 2. 1862.
Fig. 160. A-D
Slightly woody vine, twining, attainig 3-7 m
in length. Stems obtusely quadrangular,
puberulent; stipules absent. Leaves opposite, 5.2-
14 × 2.7-7 cm, elliptical or lanceolate,
chartaceous, the apex acuminate, the base obtuse
or rounded, the margins entire or remotely
sinuate; upper surface puberulent, dark green,
dull; lower surface puberulent, pale green, with
numerous dots, the veins prominent; petioles 1-
2.8 cm long, sulcate, puberulent. Inflorescences
of axillary dichasial cymes; bracts minute,
subulate. Calyx more or less urceolate, 1.5-2.5
cm long, white, puberulent, the sepals lanceolate
or elliptic-lanceolate, connate at the base,
acuminate at the apex; corolla red or crimson,
hypocrateriform, ca. 2 cm long, the tube quite
narrow, the lobes rounded; filaments pink, twice
as long as the corolla; style pink, as long as the
filaments. Fruit unknown.
Phenology: Collected in flower in December.
Status: Exotic, cultivated.
Distribution: Common in gardens in Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Islands. Cultivated
throughout the tropics.
Lianas or clambering shrubs, without spines, pubescence of simple or stellate hairs. Leaves simple,
opposite, petiolate, with entire margins; stipules absent. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, in head-like
cymes, arranged in terminal panicles. Calyx ovoid-campanulate, 5-dentate; corolla 5-merous, tubular,
bilabiate, the upper lip bilobate, the basal lip trilobate, shorter than the upper lip; stamens 4, exserted,
the filaments didynamous, adnate to the corolla below the throat; ovary superior, imperfectly bilobate,
each locule biovulate; style slender, as long as the filaments, stigma bifid. Fruit dry, obovoid, with a
single seed. A genus of 10 species, native to southeastern Asia.
1. Congea tomentosa Roxb., Pl. Coromandel. 3:
90. 1820.
Fig. 161. A-C
Lluvia de orquídeas, Terciopelo
Twining liana, with numerous lateral
branches, short, divaricate, usually pendulous,
attainig 10-15 m in length. Stems cylindrical,
sericeous-tomentose; stipules absent. Leaves