1.
Trichostigma octandrum
(Linnaeus) H. Walter in H. G. A. Engler, Pflanzenr. 83[IV,39]: 109. 1909.
Hoopvine
Rivina octandra
Linnaeus, Cent. Pl. II, 9. 1756
Plants
suberect, to 10 m, gla-brous.
Leaves:
petiole 0.6-3.5(-5) cm; blade elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate or oblong to ovate, to 15 × 7 cm, base rounded to cuneate, apex acuminate or acute to obtuse.
Racemes
5-10 cm; peduncle 1.3-3 cm; pedicel 3-10 mm.
Flowers
sepals white or greenish white to red or purplish in age, ovate to obovate, 3-6 mm.
Berries
4-6 mm diam.
Seeds
black, lenticular, 4-5 mm.
Flowering spring. Hammocks, roadsides, and disturbed sites; 0-30 m; Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; South America.
In the West Indies, strips of bark from
Trichostigma octandrum
are woven into attractive baskets; the flexible stems are used as barrel hoops. The young leaves, cooked in one or two waters, are said to be a nutritious vegetable.
