Cayaponia americana (Lam.) Cogn.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
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Family
Cucurbitaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Herbaceous vine, slender, climbing or creeping, with axillary tendrils, attaining 10 m in length. Stems angular, glabrous or puberlous swollen at the nodes; tendrils simple or branched, usually longer than the leaves. Leaves alternate; blades 5-20 x 5-18 (25) cm, chartaceous, ovate, palmatilobed, with 3-5 more or less deep lobes, oblong to linear, the apices acute, acuminate, or rounded, the base cordiform or lyrate, the margins entire or erenate; upper surface dark green, shiny, hispidulous, with the venation sunken and pubescent; lower surface yellowish green, dull, with the venation reticulate, prominent, and pubescent; petioles sulcate, puberulous, 2-7 cm long. Flowers solitary or in short racemes. Calyx green, campanulate, 5-9 mm long; corolla white or greenish yellow, minutely pubescent, the tube ca. 1 cm long, the lobes 12-15 mm long, oblong, reflexed; stamens exserted, the filaments greenish, pubescent at the base, the anthers yellow. Berry ellipsoid, 1.5-2 cm long, smooth, olive-green, turning orange or red-orange when ripe; seeds ovale, 0.8-1.2 cm long, not arillate.
Phenology - Flowering and fruiting from February to December.
Conservation Status - Native, very common throughout Puerto Rico.
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Common Names
bejuco de torero