Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 83
rotate, ca. 2 mm in diameter, the sepals ovate or
lanceolate, pubescent; corolla rotate, greenish, 4-
6 mm in diameter, the petals ovate, not imbricate;
corona yellowish green, with short and rounded
lobes. Follicles ovoid-fusiform, green, 5-8 × 3.5-
4.5 cm, pubescent, verrocose; seeds numerous,
brown, with long, white, silky hairs.
Phenology: Flowering from October to
November and fruiting from December to March.
Status: Native, very common.
Distribution: In thickets and coastal forests.
Also on Culebra, Desecheo, Mona, Vieques, St.
Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin
Gorda; Cuba, Hispaniola, the Lesser Antilles, and
from Panama to northern South America.
Public forests: Guánica, Mona, Piñones, and
Susúa.
2. Matelea sintenisii (Schltr.) Woodson, Ann.
Missouri Bot. Gard. 28: 226. 1941.
Fig. 29. E-H
BASIONYM: Gonolobus sintenisii Schltr.
SYNONYM: Vincetoxicum sintenisii (Schltr.) Britton
Herbaceous vine, twining, 3-4 m in length,
with little or no milky latex. Stems slender,
cylindrical, pubescent with retrorse hairs, 2 mm
or less in diameter. Leaves opposite; blades 3-6.5
× 1-3 cm, ovate or ovate-lanceolate,
membranaceous, the apex acute or acuminate, the
base rounded, truncate, or subcordiform, the
margins entire or crenate; upper surface dark
green, with two acicular glands at the union with
the petiole; lower surface light green, glabrous or
puberulous, with notable reticulate venation;
petioles 1-2 cm long, with 2 lines of hairs along
the upper surface. Flowers few, arranged in sessile
or subsessile cymes; pedicels ca. 5 mm long,
pubescent. Calyx green, crateriform, of 5 ovate
sepals, ca. 1.5 mm long; corolla rotate, light green,
the petals free to the base, lanceolate-triangular,
not imbricate, 3.5-5 mm long; corona annular.
Fruits fusiform, green, to 14 cm long, smooth;
seeds numerous, spathulate, dark brown, ca. 4 mm
long, with the margin verrocose and a long tuft
of white hairs.
Phenology: Collected in flower in March and
April.
Status: Endemic to Puerto Rico, uncommon.
Distribution: In moist forests in the cordilleras
and the zone of mogotes.
Public forests: El Yunque, Maricao, Río Abajo,
and Toro Negro.
3. Matelea variifolia (Schltr.) Woodson, Ann.
Missouri Bot. Gard. 28: 226. 1941.
Fig. 29. I-L
BASIONYM: Gonolobus variifolius Schltr.
SYNONYMS: Vincetoxicum variifolium (Schltr.) Britton
Matelea borinquensis Alain
Herbaceous vine, twining, 3-4 m in length,
with abundant milky latex. Stems slender,
cylindrical, puberulous, glabrescent, 2 mm or less
in diameter; pubescence of curved, reflexed hairs.
Leaves opposite; blades 4.5-10 × 2-4.5 cm,
lanceolate, elliptical, or oblong, membranaceous,
the apex acute or acuminate, the base acute,
rounded, or cordiform, the margins entire; upper
surface dark green, glabrous, with 2 acicular
glands at the union with the petiole; lower surface
pale green, glaucous, glabrous; petioles 0.8-4 cm
long, with 2 lines of hairs along the upper surface.
Flowers few, arranged in short-pedunculate
cymes; pedicels 6-8 mm long. Calyx green, rotate,
of 5 oblong-ovate sepals, 2-2.5 mm long; corolla
rotate, pale green with dark green venation, 10-
14 mm in diameter, the lobes rounded, imbricate,
ca. 5 mm long; corona annular, green. Fruits
unknown.
Phenology: Flowering from May to October.
Status: Endemic to Puerto Rico, uncommon.
Distribution: In moist forests in the cordilleras
and on mogotes.
Public forests: El Yunque, Guilarte, Maricao,
Río Abajo, and Toro Negro.
Commentary: After a careful study of the type
specimen of Matelea borinquensis Alain, I have
come to the conclusion that it represents Matelea
variifolia. The type specimen of M. borinquensis
(Alain et al. 35111) is too poor to characterize its
morphology adequately. The size and shape given
for the petals cannot be considered as valid
because they are based on floral buds. In addition,
the characterization of the corona (“lobis
triangularibus 1.5 mm longis”) can not be
critically evaluated because it is not discernible
on the specimen.