Lonicera japonica Thunb.
-
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
Caprifoliaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Description - Woody vine, twining or clambering, much branched, 5-8 m in length. Stems strong, flexible, cylindrical, pilose, brown, smooth. Leaves opposite; blades 4-7.5 x 1.2-3 cm, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, or elliptic-lanceolate, chartaceous, glabrous except for some hairs on the midvein, the apex acute or obtuse, abruptly acuminate or mucronate, the base rounded, subtruncate, or obtuse, the margins entire, revolute, ciliate; upper surface dark green, dull; lower surface pale green, dull, with a prominent midvein; petioles 5-12 mm long, brown, pubescent. Flowers fragrant, sessile, in pairs at the end of short axillary branches; bracts 2, at the base of each flower, ovate, rounded, ca. 0.7 mm long, ciliate. Calyx green, tubular, ca. 3 mm long, the sepals 5, subulate, ca. 1 mm long; corolla white, turning yellowish when mature, 2.2-2.5 cm long, infundibuliform, the tube puberulous outside; the limb with 5 lobes, one of which is longer (ca. 2.2 cm) and free; stamens 4, exserted; style exserted, with the stigmatic surface claviform. Berry black, 6-7 mm long, ellipsoid, although in the Americas it apparently does not frequently produce fruits.
Phenology - Flowering sporadically throughout the year.
Conservation Status - Exotic, cultivated and naturalized, locally common.
-
Common Names
madreselva, honeysuckle