Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 437
chartaceous, with the venation parallel; leaf sheath
with the margins ciliate; setaceous appendages
in two series, 1-5 mm long. Inflorescences 2-10
cm long, spicate, with 3-7 spikelets. Spikelets 8-
11 mm long, linear, appressed to the rachis.
Phenology: Rarely seen in flower. The plant
allegedly dies after flowering.
Status: Native, uncommon.
Distribution: Uncommon on forested slopes,
forest margins, and in dry thickets on limestone
and serpentine. Also on Vieques, St. John, and
St. Thomas; in the Bahamas, Cuba, and
Hispaniola. This species was erroneously
accredited to French Guiana in the original
description.
Public Forests: Maricao, Río Abajo, and
Susúa.
2. Arthrostylidium multispicatum Pilg., in Urb.,
Symb. Antill. 2: 341. 1901.
Fig. 181. D-G
BASIONYM: Arundinaria multispicata (Pilger) Hack.
Climbing, small bamboo, attainig 5-10 m in
length. Young culms scabrous, smooth when
mature, cylindrical, flexible, attaining 3-5 mm in
diameter, the internodes 2.5-10 cm long, the nodes
with numerous branchlets, 20-40 cm long,
grouped in dense whorls. Leaves of the branches
lanceolate, 6-12 × 1-1.7 cm, chartaceous, with
the venation parallel; leaf sheath puberulent;
setaceous appendages 1-2 mm long, deciduous;
internal and external ligules ca. 2 mm long.
Inflorescences 4-12 cm long, spicate, with 4-10
subsessile spikelets. Spikelets 2-3 cm long, linear,
appressed to the rachis, with 3-5 fertile flowers;
rachis straight. Fruit unknown.
2. CHUSQUEA
Phenology: Collected in flower in February.
Status: Native, rare.
Distribution: Uncommon on forested slopes
along the Cordillera Central. Also in Cuba,
Hispaniola, and Trinidad.
Public Forests: Carite, Guilarte, Maricao, and
Toro Negro.
3. Arthrostylidium sarmentosum Pilg., in Urb.,
Symb. Antill. 4: 108. 1903.
Fig. 181. H-J
Bambú trepador, Bambuilla
Climbing, small bamboo, with numerous
pendulous lateral branches, attainig 2-8 m in
length. Stems glabrous, smooth, shiny, cylindrical,
0.7-2.5(4) mm in diameter, the internodes 10-18
cm long, the nodes with 15-30 branches, 10-15
cm long, grouped in dense whorls. Leaves of the
branches lanceolate, 1-5 × 0.2-0.5 cm,
chartaceous, glabrous, with the venation parallel.
Inflorescences terminal on the short lateral
branches, racemose, 2-3.5 cm long, flexuous, with
3-5 spikelets. Spikelets pubescent, 15-18 mm
long, linear, appressed to the rachis, with 4-5
flowers.
Phenology: Rarely seen in flower, collected
in flower in December.
Status: Native, rather common.
Distribution: In moist forests at middle to
upper elevations; along the Cordillera Central and
the Sierra de Luquillo. Also throughout the
Antilles and in Venezuela.
Public Forests: Carite, El Yunque, Guilarte,
Maricao, and Toro Negro
Small or medium-sized bamboos. Culms elongate, erect, arcuate or scandent, cylindrical, lignified,
solid or occasionally hollow, with numerous branches per node. Leaves of the culm different from
those of the branches; foliaceous leaves with internal and external ligules; leaf sheath lacking setose
appendages. Inflorescences terminal, of panicles or less frequently racemes. Spikelets lanceolate or
ovate, short-aristate or not aristate, with numerous flowers; glumes 2, short; 2 basal flowers sterile;
distal flowers bisexual; palea bicarinate; stamens 3; stigmas 2. About 150 species, distributed from
Mexico to Chile and Argentina, including the Antilles.