Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

MAGNOLIA FAMILY (MAGNOLIACEAE)
35. Laurel sabino Magnolia splendens Urban
when freshly cut, later becoming brown, the sa
wood whitish. Growth rings and dark strea &
ncld to the figure. The wood is moderately heavy
Native on1 in the Luquillo Alountains of eastern
Puerto giieo, this lnrge tree is cl~arncterized
by: (1) young twigs and commonly the lower surfnces
of the la~thery, ovnte or elliptic leaves silky (specific pavity 0.50), hard, moderately strong,
or satiny gray green with n dense coat of fine hairs with n cl~nrncteristic spicy pungent odor. It is
giving n grny cnst to the crown of the tree; (2) easy to work but susceptible to nttnck by dry-wood
twigs ringed at the nodes; (3) pro~ninent narrow termites. Rate of nir-seasonin is rapid, and
long-pointed terminal buds; and (4) lnrge, showy, amount of degrade is minor. dchining characfragrant,
white flowers 3 inches across the 6 or teristics nre ns follows: planing and sanding are
more petals, single or 2 or 3 together at ends of fair; and shnping, turning, boring, mortising, and
twigs.
resistnnco to screw splitting all are good.
An evergreen tree becoming 75 feet tall and to The wood is used nlmost entirely for furniture
4 feet or more in trunk diameter, with narrow nnd cnbinetn~ork. Local demand is greater than
crown of dark green, spicy folinge, The trunk the limited sup ly. Other suitable uses nre for
typically roduces numbers of new shoots or suck- veneer, plywoo cf , mill\vork, turning, boat plankers.
Bar { is gmy, smootl~ish, slightly fissured or inp, constr~iction, and carpentry.
rough in age, the inner bnrk light brown, gritty, The spicy lenves have served as a condiment.
and slightly bitter. Twigs become reen and Possibly this species n-ould be suitable as an
nearly hairless, then brolt-n. Terminal &uds 24% ornnmentnl.
inches long are covered by a pair of united scales Lnurel sabino is native to an area where tree
(~t~ipulcs), silky nnd gray green, enclosing the new growth is so slow that production of the timber
lenf and forming a ring scar upon falling.
IS not economical. The average trunk diameter
The leaves are alternate on silky grny-green growth rnte of 46 trees in the natural forest duretioles
3/J-1 inch Ion . Leaf blades are 4-7 inches Ing n 5-year period was only 0.06 inch er year.
&ng and 2-3 inches & mad, short- or long-pointed The larger trees of the forest are un cf oubtedly
at npex and rounded or short-pointed at base, not many centuries old. This, lus the fact that propatoothed
on edges, thick, and with the upper sur- gntion for planting elsew i' lere is difficult because
face dark p n and shiny.
most seeds apparently are sterile, greatly limits
The flowers shave 3 whitish-green sepals 1% the future of this tree. The species will always
inches long nnd 6 or more white sprending petals be preserved within a formallv established natuabout
11/2 inches long, broad and rounded at npex. ral aren within the Luquillo 'Forest, and young
Stamens are numerous, about 1/2 inch long, short- trees are bin encouraged wherever they appear
stalked. The many pistils are g/s inch or less in naturally. gvertheless, in moat areas the old
length, \vith l-celled ovnr and curved style, ovennnture trees are being snlvnged more rapidly
spirnlly arranged in II coneli i: e center s/8 inch long. khan they are being replaced by nature.
The elliptic conelike fruits nre about 1% inches Restricted to the upper Luquillo Mountains of
Puerto Rico, mostly within the Luquillo Forest.
PUBLIC FoREs~.-tu~uillo.
RaNa~.-I