Gonolobus taylorianus

W. D. Stevens & Montiel

Novon 12: 551. 2002.

Common names: Cuchamper
Introduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 14.

Stems sparsely to moderately pubescent, pubescence of inter­nodes in 2 lines, trichomes eglan­dular and glandular-capitate. Leaves: petiole 1–7 cm, pubescent; blade deltate, ovate, or ovate-elliptic, 2.9–11.8 × 0.9–7 cm, base cordate, or subtruncate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces sparsely pubescent, hairs eglandular and/or glandular, colleters 2–5, 0.2–0.8 mm. Peduncles to 18 mm, pubescent. Pedicels 0.7–1.9 cm, pubescent. Flowers: calyx lobes lanceolate, 3–6 × 1–2 mm, margins entire, apex obtuse, abaxial surface pubescent to glabrate, adaxial surface glabrous; corolla green [purple, maroon, dark-brown], subcampanulate at base, tube 1–1.5 × 3–4 mm, lobes lanceolate to elongate-deltate, 7–11 × 2.1–3 mm, slightly lobed at base, glandular swelling frequently present in sinus, apex obtuse, abaxial surface pubescent, adaxial surface pubescent only along right side [glabrate]; corolline corona a distinctly raised ring, ca. 0.2 mm, pubescent, hairs 0.1–0.3 mm; gyno­stegial corona 5-lobed; style-head 3.5–4.2 mm diam., stipe ca. 0.5 mm; dorsal anther appendages 2 × 1.5 mm, apex broadly rounded to truncate, or 2-lobed to emar­ginate; pollinia ovate, 0.8 × 0.4 mm. Follicles broadly ovoid to suborbicular, 9–13.5 × 4.5–10.5 cm, surface glabrous or minutely pubescent. Seeds 5–6 × 3–4 mm, distal margin dentate, surfaces smooth to some­what muricate, glabrous, coma white, to 5 cm.


Phenology: Flowering Nov; fruiting Feb and May.
Habitat: Disturbed roadsides.
Elevation: 0–10 m.

Distribution

Introduced; Fla., Central America.

Discussion

Gonolobus taylorianus is native to Central America, distributed from Costa Rica to Guatemala (W. D. Stevens and O. M. Montiel 2002). In the United States, it is currently known only from naturalized populations in Miami-Dade County (A. Krings et al. 2019). In its native range, the species is cultivated for its edible fruit (Stevens and Montiel). It may have been introduced for this purpose in Florida.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.