Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

434
Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Mexico, but widely cultivated in the tropics. Also
on St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas.
Public Forests: El Yunque and Maricao.
6. Vanilla poitaei Reichenb. f., Linnaea 41: 66.
1877.
Fig. 180. A-F
SYNONYMS: Vanilla eggersii Rolfe
Vanilla correllii Sauleda & Adams
Non-woody vine, glabrous, scarcely branched,
that climbs by means of aerial roots and attains
5-8 m in length. Stems cylindrical, 4-9 mm in
diameter, producing watery and caustic latex when
wounded; internodes 8-20 cm long; nodes slightly
swollen, producing 1-3 adventitious roots per
node; the lateral branches pendulous. Leaves
persistent, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, fleshy,
rigid, flat, sessile, (3)7-12 × 1.4-3 cm, the apex
markedly reflexed like a hook; upper surface dull;
lower surface dull; petioles 3-4 mm long.
Inflorescence a pendulous axillary raceme, with
many flowers; bracts broadly ovate, 4-7 mm long.
Sepals green, free, more or less expanded, the
dorsal sepal oblanceolate, 5-5.5 × 1.1-1.3 cm, the
lateral sepals similar but oblique. Petals similar,
but dorsally keeled, obliquely oblanceolate, and
smaller; lip greenish outside, white with cardinal
red margins, and the throat yellow, the basal
portion short-unguiculate, adnate along ¾ of the
column; column arcuate, ca. 3 cm long. Fruits
pendulous, fusiform-cylindrical, ca. 15 cm long.
Phenology: Flowering from April to July, but
rarely producing fruits.
Status: Native, uncommon.
Distribution: In moist or rain forests, at lower
to middle elevations. Also on Vieques, St. Thomas,
the Bahamas, Cuba, and Hispaniola.
Public Forests: El Yunque, Guajataca, Río
Abajo, and Maricao.
7. Vanilla pompona Schiede, Linnaea 4: 573.
1829.
Fig. 180. G-H
Non-woody vine, glabrous, scarcely branched,
that climbs by means of aerial roots and attains 5
m in length. Stems cylindrical, 12-15 mm in
diameter, producing watery and caustic latex when
wounded; internodes up to 20 cm long; nodes
swollen, with an annular scar, producing 1
adventitious root per node; the lateral branches
pendulous. Leaves persistent, oblong-ovate or
oblong-elliptical, fleshy, rigid, flat, almost sessile,
20-30 × 6-10 cm, the apex acute or obtuse, the
base obtuse; both surfaces dull, with the parallel
venation prominent; petioles ca. 1.5 cm long.
Inflorescence an axillary raceme, with many
flowers; bracts fleshy, broadly ovate, 1.2-2.5 cm
long. Sepals greenish yellow or yellowish creamcolored,
free, expanded, oblanceolate, obtuse, or
rounded, ca. 9 × 1-2 cm. Petals similar, but
dorsally keeled; lip yellow-orange, entire,
unguiculate, adnate along the column; column
slender, semicylindrical, ca. 7 cm long, barbate
in the area near the stigma. Fruits pendulous,
fusiform, ca. 18 × 2.5 cm.
Phenology: Flowering from March to May, but
not producing fruits in Puerto Rico because its
natural pollinators are not found on the island.
Status: Exotic, persistent, uncommon.
Distribution: Formerly cultivated for the
production of vanilla, and still found on
abandoned farms. Species native to Mexico and
Guatemala, but widely cultivated in the
neotropics.
Public Forests: Maricao.
Reference: Ackerman, J. D. 1992. The orchids of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Editorial de
la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Ackerman, J. D. 1995. An orchid flora of Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. Vol. 73: 1-203.