Dalechampia
-
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
Euphorbiaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Description - Twining vines or less frequently shrubs, monoecious, usually covered with stinging hairs, producing scarce watery latex when wounded. Leaves simple, alternate, 3-5-lobate, petiolate, with a pair of stipels at the base of the blade; stipules present. Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic, apetalous, clustered in bisexual cymes, with long peduncles and two foliaceous bracts, forming a pseudanthium. Staminate flowers in distal cymules; bracteoles with numerous resinous glands; calyx 4-6-valvate; stamens numerous, grouped on a short stipe to form a head, the anthers short, opening along longitudinal sutures; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers in basal cymules; calyx with 8-12 lobes with glandular margins; ovary superior, trilobate, tricarpellate, each carpel with a solitary ovule, the style simple, with a capitate or peltate stigma. Fruit a trilobate capsule, with one seed per locule. A genus of about 100 species, mostly of the Neotropics.