Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

HERNANDIA FAMILY (HERNANDLACEAE)
the cuplike base) is nbout %/lo inch thick, has an
opening about I,$ inch in diameter, is sometimes
tinged wit11 red, and at maturity has a pleasant
mellow odor like ripe apples. The single fruit
Hernandia sonora L.
This tree with handsorno foliage is easily recog- (clrllpe) within is yk-1 incll broad, hard, blackish,
nized by: (1) I:trge, ovate, sliglltly shiny, clrirk wit lr i~sually 8 longitudin:~l ridges, ti~lcl 1-seeded.
green leaves with long petioles :ittnched $$-I inch I'lo\veri~lg :)lid fri~~ting reported at various times
;rl)ove base of bl:tcle; (2) bronc1 leaf 1)l:icles 7-12 clr~~.i~lg the year.
inches long and 4-8 iliclies \vide, long-pointed at S:~p\vood and heart\\-ood tire inclistin yishable,
apes ant1 roundecl at b:lx wit11 5 111tii11 wins, 2 011 Ilot li grityisll white with faint olive-colored streaks
e:lch side of midrib: (3) inconspir~~ous greenish- :111tl ~i~~merous large darker J)ores. Tlie wood is
11-hite flowers finely grny hairy, less than !h i~lcli lirn~. soft, ligllt\reigllt (spec~fic gravity 0.29), of
long, borne in long-str~lketl Iriterrtl clusters: ant1 low strength, and e:tsily \vorketl. I( is very sus-
(4) elliptic fruits 1-1% inclies long insicle 11 c-cptible to gttack by dry-wood ter~nites and other
rounded, hollow, greenish-yellolv, fleshy case about i~isycts :~nd to dec:iy. Rate of air-seasoning is
finches in diameter.
r:11)1(l, and amount of degrade is niinor. i\incl~in-
A large evergreen tree becoaling GO feet high i~ig cll:i~.acteristics are as follo\vs: plrlning and
:~nd 2 feet in di:imeter, thick triinlrs with s1na11 sri~itling are poor; sh:lpinp, t llrning, boring, and
buttresses. The light brown hi~rk is snioothish, l~lortisiug nre very poor; and resist tince to screw
slightly fissured, 1~1th snlnll ro~.lzy warts. In~lrr sl)litti~ig is escellent. Suitable uses are l~ght
1)ax-k is light brown, slightly n~ucilaginoi~s nncl I)oscs, crates, fishing floats, tenlpornry boarding,
bitter. The stout twigs are green i~nd nlinutelg interior construction, anrl :IS n substitute for heavhair
.
irr gr:i(les of guano (bals:~). IIowever, scarcity
~ zleaves e are alternate on light green, minutely li~llits tlie use in Pi~erto Rico.
Ilairy petioles 6-10 inches long, nearly as long as Occnsionnlly planted in tlir tropics and in subthe
blades. Surrounding the end of the petioles, tropical Ellrope as an onlninentnl. Easily propathe
blades ( eltate) nre \vitlliout teeth on margin, g:~tcd from seed and grows fairly rapidly if not
slightly thic 1 ened, hairless or nearly so, and 11ght in tlense shade. It is reported tlint tlle sap has been
green beneath.
usctl as depilatory, removing Iltiirs farom the face
Flower clusters (cymes) are lateral, 5-8 inches prtinlcssly.
Io~ig, 3-6 inches Ilcross, somewhat flattened, wit11 In forests ancl along st,ren~ils in tho moist coastal
light green, finely gray llttiry branches. Several region of Puerto Rico. Also infreqiient in cultivato
nlnlly flowers nre bor~le i~si~ally 3 together, 2 t ion :is an ornament:il and shade tree. Trees may
rn~lle ;1nd 1 female (monoecious), ttbove 4 green- l)c! seen nlong the high\vay to El Yunqiie south
ish-white bracts ?&% inch long. Male flowe~s on OF JInmeyes :~nd on tlie rortcl l)et\veen Jlaricao
stalks 1/8 inch or more in length are nearly % 11nd Alayagiiez.
inclt long ancl broad. consistilig of usaa11-y 6 sl~ght- I'U~I,IC FOREST.-~AI~U~~~O.
1s thickened greenish-~vliitc sepals more than 14 I