Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

FOUR00'CLOCK FAMILY (NYCTAGINACEAE)
32. Corcho blanco, water mampoo Pisonia subcordata Sw.
A medium-sized to large tree recognized by : (1)
opl~osi t e, us111~11y Iiirge, elliptic or ne:lrly round
lenves 21h-8 (sometimes 10) inches long :und ne:~rly
as brotid, t~~ostly roun(le(1 nt apes nn(l ro~~nded or
oftoll 11 little heart-shaped at base; (2) gnly
smoot.ll trunlr and brnncllcs; (3) nunierous greenish
flotvels crowded in stalked 11;lll-like clustets
l-ly, incl~es in diameter, ~nnle ancl fenlalo on clifferent
trees (dioecious) ; and (4) nnrrn~v clr-y fruits
:?,/R-l/.. inch 1on.g and inore tlinrl 3/16 i~lcll in diameter,
10-angled, with 5 ro~vs of dotlike glands ne:~
apex.
This decidnous tree hcolnes 40-50 feet in heigllt,
wit11 short, often thick trli~ik to 2-3 feet in diameter,
stout bmnclies, and ~*ounded cron-n. The
twigs ntw green and finely rusty-brown hairy ~vlien
young, becoming LT:L~ nnd ston t..
Tlie leaves linve stont, mnnd petioles 1-11h inclles
long. I3lndes nlr, \vitliont teetl! on edges, r~lstybrown
Iiairy \vlien yoang but. l~corning hairless or
nearl so, shiny yello\v green above and beneath
el1111 &lit green with piiikish .lain veins.
Flotvers appearing \vitll new leaves genernlly in
e:trly spring bnt. sonietilnes in summer. The terminal
:~ncl I:~ter:ll cluste~s of fragrant finely hairy
flo~vers lir~\~e stnlks 1-2 inclles long. Male flowers
hare hll-sli:q)ed, 5-tootlied c:llys incll long and
8-10 longer sttlmens. Icemale flowers, less
cro~vclecl, consist of tubul:~r 5-toothed calyx about
1/8 inch long 1111ION s,rar~s.--corcho, palo bob
(Puerto Rico); mampoo, loblolly (Virgin Islnnds)
; i~i:~po~i (St.. 13nrth6lemy) ; mapou pis
(Gndeloupe) ; muppoo (Dntch \Vest Indies).