Rubbervine, mangrovevine

Echites biflorus Jacquin, Enum. Syst. Pl., 13. 1760 (as biflora)

Leaves: petiole 7–15 mm, gla­brous; blade obovate-oblong to elliptic or lanceolate, 30–80 × 15–30 mm, coriaceous, base acute to rounded, margins usu­ally revolute, apex rounded to acute or apiculate, surfaces glabrous. Peduncles 75–100 mm, glabrous. Pedicels 10–15 mm, glabrous. Flowers: calyx lobes ovate, 5–6 mm, glabrous; corolla glabrous abaxially, eglandular-pubescent adaxially, tube 15–20 × 2–3 mm, throat 20–30 × 5–15 mm, lobes spreading, obliquely rounded-obovate, 15–20 × 15–20 mm, adjacent lobes overlapping for 1/2+ of their length from base. Follicles 80–100 × 3–4 mm. Seeds 25–30 × 1–2 mm.

Flowering spring–fall; fruiting summer–fall. Coastal hammocks, mangrove swamps; 0–10 m; Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; South America.

In Florida, Rhabdadenia biflora occurs from Brevard and Charlotte counties southward.

F. Lens et al. (2009) have shown that Rhabdadenia biflora exhibits an interesting developmental plasticity in its ability to switch abruptly between wood anatomical features characteristic of erect or suberect species (vessels in radial multiples) and those characteristic of lianas (vessels in clusters).