Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 87
over the decision of Liogier (1995) to place M.
decipiens in synonymy under M. fallax.
I have decided to place Metastelma
grisebachianum Schltr. in synonymy under M.
decipiens, because the characters used to separate
the two species also overlap. These include the
pubescence on the petals and the form of the
corona segments, which in my view are not
sufficient to distinguish two biological entities.
In addition, the disjunction in the distribution of
M. decipiens does not make biological sense,
because it has only been cited for Puerto Rico, St.
Thomas, and Tobago, being absent in the Lesser
Antilles. By recognizing M. grisebachianum as a
synonym of M. decipiens, the distribution of M.
decipiens is expanded to include the Lesser
Antilles.
3. Metastelma leptocladum (Decne.) Schltr. in
Urb., Symb. Antill. 1: 261. 1899.
Fig. 30. I-O
BASIONYM: Vincetoxicum leptocladum Decne.
SYNONYMS: Cynanchum leptocladum (Decne.) Jiménez
Metastelma ephedroides (Griseb.) Schltr.
Amphistelma ephedroides Griseb.
Cynanchum ephedroides (Griseb.) Alain
Herbaceous vine, twining, 5-7 m in length,
with abundant milky latex. Stems green,
cylindrical, glabrous, ca. 1 mm in diameter, with
numerous pendulous branches, which sometimes
intertwine like braids. Leaves opposite, deciduous
during the flowering period; blades 0.4-1.5 cm ×
ca. 0.7 mm, narrowly elliptical to linear, the
secondary venation not visible, the apex acute,
the base attenuate, the margins entire, revolute;
upper surface glabrous, without glands at the
union with the petiole; lower surface puberulous;
petioles ca. 1.5 mm long; intrapetiolar stipules
acicular, ca. 0.2 mm long. Flowers few, in axillary
cymes; pedicels 3.5-4.5 mm long. Calyx
crateriform, green, the sepals oblong, puberulous,
0.5-0.7 mm long; corolla creamy yellow, ca. 2 mm
long, the lobes oblong, glabrous, free to the base;
corona crateriform, with triangular segments, ca.
0.3 mm long, shorter than the gynostegium;
gynostegium sessile. Follicles fusiform, glabrous,
4-6 cm long; seeds numerous, with a tuft of hairs
at the apex.
Phenology: Collected in flower in March and
from July to November.
Status: Native, relatively common.
Distribution: In moist or dry forests in central
and western Puerto Rico. Also in Cuba, Jamaica,
and Hispaniola.
Public forests: Guilarte, Maricao, Río Abajo,
and Toro Negro.
4. Metastelma lineare Bello, Anales Soc. Esp.
Hist. Nat. 10: 292. 1881.
Fig. 31. A-F
SYNONYM: Cynanchum lineare (Bello) Alain
Slender vine, twining, 2-5 m in length, with
abundant milky latex. Stems green, cylindrical,
more or less glabrous, 1 mm or less in diameter.
Leaves perennial, opposite or subwhorled; blades
1.5-4.5 cm × 1.5-2 mm, linear, the apex acute or
obtuse, subapiculate, the base obtuse or acute, the
margins entire, revolute; upper surface glabrous
with the midvein sunken, with a short acicular
gland (or sometimes without a gland) where it
joins the petiole; lower surface pale, with a
prominent midvein, the secondary venation
inconspicuous; petioles ca. 2 mm long, slender;
intrapetiolar stipules acicular, 0.2 mm long.
Flowers few, in subsessile cymes; pedicels slender,
1.5-2.5 mm long. Calyx green, crateriform, the
sepals ovate, ca. 1 mm long; corolla white inside,
yellowish green outside, 3.5 mm long, the lobes
lanceolate, 2.5-3 mm long, reflexed at the apex,
the inner surface puberulous from the middle
portion toward the apex, strigose from the middle
portion toward the base; corona white, the
segments narrowly lanceolate, 1.2-2 mm long,
longer than the gynostegium; gynostegium sessile.
Follicles linear, 3-5 cm long, glabrous, splitting
in half to expose numerous dark brown, ovate
seeds, 5-5.5 mm long, with long, silky hairs at
the apex.
Phenology: Flowering throughout the year and
fruiting from September to March.
Status: Native, relatively common.
Distribution: In secondary forests at middle
and upper elevations, in central and western
Puerto Rico. Also on Mona and St. Thomas; Cuba.
Public forests: Guánica, Maricao, Mona, Río
Abajo, Susúa, and Toro Negro.