Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

LAUREL FAMILY (LAURACEAE)
Key to the 10 species illustrated (Nos. 42-51)
A. Fnlit without n cup at bnse.
Is. Fruit elliptic. I)inck. 1-1s inches long, inedibl+l!?. Rciluchnticdia pcndtrla.
ItII. Fruit 1wur-shnl)etl or nenrly round, yellorv grwu, 44 iuches long, edible (avoendo)--51. Pereca ameticana..
'\A. Fruit rvitl~ cup nt bnse.
C. lanven very narrow, lance-shnped43. Licaria salicilolia.
CC. INnvc-s Imonder, rllostly elliptic.
D. I.enves brondest below or near middle, mostly long-pointed.
E:. Fruits 1111111y. rc11111cl. riboul "14; inrt~ ill d~nll~c-lt-r, tlle c~l) rovered rvith warts; leaves often with
sc.nt teretl rnisecl clots (grills) -4s. Orolc~tt l~~rrc~orl~lott.
EIO. Fruits fe!rs or severnl, jrJ inch or more in dinmcter; lenvcs without raised dots.
F. Fnlit cup nbont ns long an brond.
G. Fruit cup nbor~t 1h inch long nnd brond4-l. Licaria Criatidra.
GG. Fn~it cup nbout inch long rind t1roacl45. A'rclattdra coriacca.
FF. Fnlit cup very short. flat, bearing ~nlgx- 1obc.c turned bnck-47. Ocotca floribunda.
IID. J,envw brondest beyond middle, short-pointed or rounded nt nlsx.
11. 1,envc~s c+lusterecl at or npnr rntls of tlvigs, 1%-3% inches lol~g-50. Orofra spallrrrlata.'
1111. J,t*nrea I~orne si~igly, 3-7 inches long.
I. J.rurcs with lo\ver surface densely hniry, reddl811 Ijrown tvhen young but becoming my46.
Ocotca crr~tcato.
11. Lenvev sliiny or1 both sides, hnirlcss or nearly so, veins mostly reddish tinged near base--49.
Ocotea ntosckata.
42. Guajdn
Disting~~isliecl by: (1) spicy foliage, twigs, and
hark : (I) bnrk on Ii~rge trunks peeling off nnd exposing
1-ilsty reddish-brown inner layels; (3) elliptic,
slightly leathery lenves often broadest beyond
middle, short-pointed nt both ends, much
perforilted I)?. insects on many trees: (4) greenishyellow
fl o\vers about % inch long and broad, ser-
~rnl in n loose, long-stalked, branched, laternl
cluster 9-5 inclics long: and (5) the long elliptic
I)l:lck fruits 1-11/2 inches long and I,$ inch in dii~lneter,
tvitllout :I cup nt bnse, fleshy iind 1-seeded,
borne singly.
h ~nedium-sized evergreen tree attaining 75 feet
in height and 21h feet in trunk diameter. The
dnrk I)m\vn bnrk is slnoothish :lnd slightly fissured,
nbol~t 1h inch tliiclr, the inner bark light
brown. The twigs r\re green and minutely hairy
when young.
The 111 ternnte leilves linve petioles 3/g-% indl
long. Lenf blades stre 3?/2-61/2 inches long and
2-3yt inches brond, hnirless or nenrly so at maturity,
tho edges not toothed, green on upper surfare,
ilnd paler or covered with n bloom,benenth.
'I'he flower clusters (pnnicles) have fit~ely hairy
brnnches bearing several short-stiilked flowers.
The greenish-yellow calyx is finely hairy and hns
(i lobes less th1111 inch long; there :ire 9 stntnens
rilrcl ndditional sterlle stnmens (st:lminodes) ; nnd
pistil of 1-celled, 1-ovuled ovary with short style.
Beilsclrmiedia pendula (Sw.) Benth. 8r Hook. f.
Fn~its (berries) nre green, turning black at maturity,
fleshy, with 1 large seed. As some common
nntrles suggest, they resemble small nvocndos and
olivc9 slightly. Flowering - and fruiting - from
spring to- fnll.
The snpwood is ~ nle brown. nnd the heartwood
is pinlrisli brown. -The \vmd 'is modemtely hard,
strong, nnd henvy (specific ,grnvity 0.54). It is
vely sllsceptible to dnmnge by dry-wood termites.
Rnts of nir-sensoning is slow, and nmount of degrnde
is minor. hfncllining chnrncteristics are as
follows: plnning, sllnping, sanding, and resistance
to scren7 split tlnp nre good; turning and mortising
:Ire fair; nnd boring is poor. The wood is used for
shipbuilding, genelnl constnlction, flooring, furniture,
cnbinetmnking, nnd carpentry.
It is reported thnt tllc fruits are eaten by hogs
ancl other nnimnls in Cnbn.
In lower Lu ilillo nnd Cordillera regions of
Puerto Rico. A 1 so in St. Thomns.
PUISLIC FORESTS.-Cnrite, Luquillo.
Rana~.-&.enter Antilles, St. Thomas, and
Lesser Antilles from St. Icitts t,o St. Vincent.
OTHER COBIB~ON ~.\~~~s.-n~~llncatillo, aguncate
cimarr611, cedro mncho (Puerto Rico) ; a
R nmarilln (Dominican Republicr,",?kt":
"'7" ni lo, nguncntillo, curnvar?, mulnto (Cuba) ; slogwood,
slu -mood (Jnmnwa); laurier madame
(~ominica!
.
ROTANICAI, RYNONYDL. - RufeZandia pendula
(Sw.) Nees.