Cayaponia americana

(Plumier ex Lamarck) Cogniaux

in A. L. P. P. de Candolle and C. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 3: 785. 1881.

Common names: American melonleaf
Basionym: Bryonia americana Plumier ex Lamarck in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 1: 498. 1785
Synonyms: Cayaponia americana var. angustiloba Cogniaux C. americana var. subintegrifolia Cogniaux
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 47. Mentioned on page 48.

Vines herbaceous. Stems sulcate, glabrous; tendrils unbranched. Leaves: petiole 1–5 cm, glabrous; blade ovate to deltate or pentagonal, unlobed or shallowly to deeply 3–5-lobed, 5–14 × 5–13 cm, terminal lobe oblong-lanceolate, broadest at base, lateral lobes often sublobed, base cordate to truncate or rounded, margins remotely serrulate or denticulate, surfaces hirsute-hispidulous abaxially (not white-sericeous), pustulate-scabrous adaxially. Flowers: sepals deltate to triangular, 1–2 mm; petals pale green to whitish, corolla 6–10 mm; pistillate flowers solitary, axillary, or 3–5 on short racemoid branches, staminate flowers solitary, axillary. Fruits usually 1, axillary, or 3–5 on racemoid branches, orange to golden brown, short ellipsoid-cylindric, 1.5–2 cm; peduncle 8–15(–30) mm. Seeds usually 3, 10 mm.


Phenology: Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat: Rockland hammocks, hammock edges and clearings
Elevation: 0–20 m

Discussion

Cayaponia americana is known in the flora area only from Miami-Dade County. The leaf blades are darker and thicker than those of C. quinqueloba, and peduncle length is greater in C. americana.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Cayaponia americana"
Guy L. Nesom +
(Plumier ex Lamarck) Cogniaux +
Bryonia americana +
American melonleaf +
Fla. +  and West Indies. +
0–20 m +
Rockland hammocks, hammock edges and clearings +
Flowering May–Aug. +
in A. L. P. P. de Candolle and C. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. +
Cayaponia americana var. angustiloba +  and C. americana var. subintegrifolia +
Cayaponia americana +
Cayaponia +
species +