Clitoria ternatea L.
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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
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Woody vine, twining, attaining 1-3 m in length. Stems slender, cylindrical, with lines of minute trichomes. Leaves alternate, 5-7-foliolate; leaflets opposite, 1.5-4.5 x 1-3.5 cm, elliptical or less frequently ovate or oblong, chartaceous, the apex rounded, obtuse, sometimes retuse or mucronate, the base obtuse, the margins entire; upper surface dark green, dull, puberulent, with the midvein sunken; lower surface pale green, dull, puberulent, with prominent venation; rachis 2-7 cm long; petiolules minute, pubescent; petioles 2-4 cm long, pubescent, with the base thickened; stipels filiform, ca. 1.5 mm long; stipules lanceolate, pubescent, ca. 4 mm long. Flowers solitary, on short peduncles; pedicel ca. 1 cm long, pubescent, with a pair of bracteoles in the middle. Calyx campanulate, 1.5-2.2 cm long, green, puberulent, the lobes lanceolate-ovate, 8-10 mm long, with the midvein conspicuous; corolla blue-violet, the standard broadly ovate, 3.5-5 cm long, retuse, with the base pale yellow and the center pale yellow inside. Legume 9-11 x ca. 1 cm, oblong, ribbed along both margins, the apex acuminate. Seeds numerous, 5-6 mm long, oblong, flattened, dark brown.
Phenology - Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.
Conservation Status - Exotic, cultivated and naturalized, relatively common.
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Discussion
According to Fantz (1990), the following two varieties are found in Puerto Rico: Clitoria ternatea var. ternatea with simple flowers (only one standard per flower) and C. ternatea var. pleniflora Fantz with double flowers (4-5 standards per flower).
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Common Names
bejuco de conchitas, papitos, deleite, conchitas, blue vine, butterfly pea