Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Vines and Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 91
with numerous ovate or elliptical seeds, marginally dentate, with a tuft of hairs at the apex. A genus of
about 100 species, distributed in the subtropics and temperate zones of the New World.
1. Oxypetalum cordifolium (Vent.) Schltr. in
Urb., Symb. Antill. 1: 269. 1899.
Fig. 32 A-F
BASIONYM: Gothofreda cordifolia Vent.
Herbaceous vine, twining, attaining 4 m in
length, with abundant milky latex. Stems
cylindrical, pubescent, ca. 3 mm in diameter.
Leaves opposite; blades 4-10 × 4-6 cm, ovate,
pubescent, the apex acuminate or cuspidate, the
base deeply cordiform, the margins entire; upper
surface dull green, with 5 acicular glands at the
union with the petiole; lower surface pale green,
dull, with slightly prominent venation; petioles
pubescent, slender, 2-3 cm long. Flowers few,
arranged in umbelliform cymes; peduncle ca. 2
cm long; pedicels 1-1.5 cm long. Calyx
crateriform, green, the sepals linear-lanceolate,
subulate, pubescent on the outer surface, 3.5-4
mm long; corolla campanulate, yellowish or light
green, pubescent outside, the tube ca. 4 mm long,
the lobes linear-attenuate, 1.5-2 cm long; corona
of cuneate-spathulate segments, fleshy, ca. 2.5 mm
long; pollinia with an acicular appendage in the
area where they connect to the translator arms;
stigmatic branches ca. 5 mm long. Follicles
fusiform, ca. 8 cm long.
Phenology: Collected in flower in May.
Status: Native, extremely rare.
Distribution: Known from Puerto Rico from
a single collection of Read (according to Urban,
1910). Also on St. Thomas (according to Urban,
1910); Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and from
Mexico to South America.
References: Forster, P. I., 1990. Hoya R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) in Australia - an alternative
classification. Austrobaileya 3: 217-234; Forster, P. I. and D. J. Liddle, 1991. Variation in Hoya australis
R. Br. ex Traill (Asclepiadaceae). Austrobaileya 3: 503-521; Marohasy J. and P. I. Forster, 1991. A
taxonomic revision of Cryptostegia R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae: Periplocoideae). Stevens, W. D. 2001.
Asclepiadaceae. pags. 234-270, in: Stevens, W. D. et al. (eds.), Flora de Nicaragua. Mon. Syst. Bot.
Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1).
6. Family ASTERACEAE
Key to the genera
1a. Leaves opposite .................................................................................................................................. 2
1b. Leaves alternate ................................................................................................................................. 7
2a. Capitula heterogamous, radiate, the central flowers with actinomorphic, tubular corollas, the
peripheral ones zygomorphic, ligulate (with one of the lobules elongate in the form of a ligule). 3
2b. Capitula homogamous, discoid, with all the flowers actinomorphic, tubular. ................................ 4
3a. Leaves compound ................................................................................................................ 2. Bidens
3b. Leaves simple ........................................................................................................ 11. Sphagneticola
4a. Capitula of 4 phyllaries and 4 flowers ............................................................................. 6. Mikania
4b. Capitula of more than 4 phyllaries and more than 4 flowers........................................................... 5