Monographs Details:
Authority:

Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
Family:

Fabaceae
Description:

Description - Decumbent or scandent herb, scarcely branched from the woody base, attaining 2 m in length. Stems more or less cylindrical, producing aerial roots in the area of the nodes, pubescence mixed, of uncinate trichomes and minute, erect trichomes, glabrescent with age. Leaves alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets 3-9 x 2-6.5 cm, chartaceous, the apex obtuse, acute, or acuminate, usually mucronate, the margins entire, strigose; upper with prominent venation; distal leaflet rhombic, surface dark green, glabrous, puberulent on the venation; lower surface grayish green, strigose, with prominent venation; distal leaflet rhombic, with the base cuneate; lateral leaflets asymmetrical, one side elliptical, the other ovate, the base obtuse or rounded; petiolules 2-5 mm long, pilose; petioles 4.5-10.5 cm long, uncinate-pubescent, striate; rachis 1-6 mm long, pilose, canaliculate; stipules ovate to lanceolate, 5-10 mm kmg. deciduous; stipels filiform, ea. 2 mm long. Inflorescences of axillary racemes, erect, 30-45 cm long, the axis pubescent, dark brown, with (lowers paired along its length; pedicels 12-17 mm long. Calyx purple, campanulate, ca. 2 mm long, pilose; corolla pink or pale violet, ca. 4 mm long. Legume uncinate-pubescent, 0.7-1(2) cm long, crenate on the ventral suture, with (1)2(3) fertile segments. Seeds ca. 3.5 mm long, oblong-elliptical, light brown.

Phenology - Collected in flower and fruit from January to August.

Conservation Status - Native, rather common.