Vahl, Eclog. Amer. 1:16. 1796
Tendriled climbing vine, becoming woody; stems to7 cm diam, usually angulate, sometimes bearing 2-sided, narrow,peltate scales. Leaves trifoliolate; stipules (on youngest stems)broadly ovate, to 4 mm. long; petioles 2-4.5 (6)cm long; leaflets velutinous especially on veins below withappressed, long, flattened, T-shaped trichomeson veins, the major veins crisped-villous at least near tuftedaxils, the margins obscurely mucronate-serrate, theterminal leaflet broadly elliptic to ovate-elliptic,acuminate' cuneate at base, 4-10 cm long, 1.5-5.5 cmwide, the lateral leaflets somewhat smaller andinequilateral. Cymes corymbiform., umbellate, 3-8 cm long;peduncles 6-18 mm long; inflorescence branches reddish, moderatelypubescent, the pedicels and branches of the inflorescence withlong, flattened, T-shaped trichomes; pedicels to 4 mm long; flowers4-parted, red; calyx cupular, nearly truncate, minute;corolla ca 1.5 mm. long, the lobes ovate, valvate; stamens 4;pistil 1-1.5 mm. long. Fruits obovoid, 7-9 mm long, green to orangeat maturity; seed usually 1, pyriform, to 7 mm. long.Croat 6396, 11890.
Frequent along the margin of the lake; found also in trees inthe forest to 10 m high. Flowers and fruits throughout the rainyseason.
Mexico to Brazil; Greater Antilles. In Panama,known from tropical moist forest all along the Atlantic slope andin the Canal Zone, Veraguas, Herrera, and Panama and frompremontane wet forest in the Canal Zone, Coclé, andPanama.
See Fig. 353.
