Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

LAUREL FAMILY (LAURACEAE)
43. Canelilla Licaria salicifolia (Sw.) Kosterm.
This species is readily distinguished from other lower surface remaining finely hairy with a neb
trees of the laurel family by the narrow leaves. work of many raised sm:tll veins.
Other characters for identification include: (1) The small flower clusters (panicles) a.t, leaf bases
spicy foliage, twigs, and bark; (2) narrow acute have several flo\vers on densely hairy branches.
pointed cfown on most trees; (3) lance-shaped Calyx has 6 hairy lobes less than +46 inch long;
leathery leaves, dark green or shiny green on upper there are 3 stamens with additional sterile stamens
surface,
I
and gray green and finely hairy beneath; (st:~minodes) ; and pistil of 1-celled ovary and
4) densely reddlsh-brown hairy young twigs; slender style. The elon te fleshy fruits (berries)
5) small, whitish- reen hairy flowers more than hare a single large seep Flowering and fruiting
j', inch long and ! road, several in short lateral from latter part of February to September.
clusters; and (6) blackish elliptic fleshy fruit 6/s The sapwood is light brown. The heavy mood
inch long and 1/4 inch b~soad, in a spreading gray (specific gravity 0.8) is used only for poles, posts,
cup almost 1/4 inch long and broad, with double and fuel in Puerto Rico.
rim.
In the moist limestone, dry coast, and lower
A small to medium-sized evergreen tree to 50 Cordillera region chiefly in western Pnerto Rico.
feet high with a straight trunk to 1 foot in cli- Also in Vieques, It. Croir, St. Thomas, St. John,
ameter. The dark gray or reddish-brown smooth- and Tortola.
is11 bark has many small warts (lenticels) and peels PUBLIC mms~s.-Cambalache, Guajataca, Guoff
in large irregular flakes 1-6 inches long. Inner rinica, Maricao, Rio Abajo, SusGa.
bark is light bro~m, spicy and bitter. Older twigs R.~NGE.-Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, and
nre slender, brown, and Bairlcss.
Lesser Antilles from Antigua to Martinique.
The dternnte leaves have short reddish-brown OTHER COMMON ~~arm.--cnnela, canela del pais,
hairy petioles 4/8-3/8 inch long. Blades are canelillo (Puerto Rico) ; bois chique, bois fourmi
inches long and $4-1 inch broad, long-pointed art (Gundeloupe) .
apex and short-pointed at Lase, not toothed on BOTANICAL ~~~o~nf.-AerodiClidiurn 8alicifoedges,
the upper surface becoming hairless, and the litrqn (Sw.) Griseb.