Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

(specific grnvity 0.8). Used only for fuel in
Puerto Rico because of the small size but elsewllere
serving for tool handles and farm implements.
The shrubs are occasionally ciiltivated around
houses and in gardens as ornamentals and in Indin
for hedges.
One of the principal roducts of this species is
P
the perfume distilled rom tho flowers, known
commercially as "cassie flo\vers." In southern
Europe the shrubs are cultivated for this purpose.
Likewise, in tropical America the flowers, after
drying in the shade, are placed between linens to
erfume them or put in clothes cabinets. The
[owen are visited by bees. The leaves and pods
are browsed by livestock. The bark and astringent
pods, which are high in tannin content, are used
in tnnning, and the pods also in makin ink and a
black dye. The flowers, green fruits, 6 ark, roots,
and leaves have also been employed in local remedies.
Mucilage can be prepared from the gum
which exudes from the trunk and I\-hich resembles
pim arabic, obtained from an African species of
the same genus. The sticky juice of the pods has
served to mend broken china.
In thickets and forests in the dry coastal ancl
dry limestone regions of Puerto Rico. Also occasionally
planted in gardens. Also in Vieques, St.
Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, and Virgin
Gorda. m a -
PUBLIC I.~REsTs.-Gu~~~c~, Maricao, Susfia.
R~x~~.-\vide]y distributed in tropical America
and spread by cultivation and naturalization.
South\vestern border of United States (Texas,
Arizona, and California) and Mexico to Chile ancl
brgentina. -41~0 through West Indies from Bnhamas
and Cubn to Trinidad and Tobago and
Curai;no and Aruba. Naturalized in southeastern
United States (Florida to Louisiana). Also naturalized
in Old World tropics.
This species spreads rapidly and may appear to
be native in areas where it was brought in many
years ago. In most of the West Indies perhaps
introducecl and naturalized. However, it has been
accepted as native in Cuba. The type botanical
speclmen was collected in the Dominican Republic.
OTHER COBIJION NAB~FS.--C~S~~~, cassia (Virgin
Islands) ; aroma, aromo (Spanish) ; cambrbn Doininican
Republic) ; aroma amarilla (Cu a) ;
b
LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE)
' MIMOSA SUBFAMILY (MIM :OSOIDEAE; MIMOSACEAE)
59. Peronias, jumbie-bead
This introduced tree, locally naturalized, is iden-
tified by: (1) the large twice pinnate (bipinnate)
leaves 1-2 feet or more in length, composed of nu-
merous oblong thin leaflets rounded at both ends
and with a tiny point at apex; (2) the erect nar-
row flower clusters 4-7 inches long, containing nu-
merous crowded, small, pale yellow flowers 1/4 inch
across ; and (3) the shiny scarlet lens-shaped seeds
huisache, qtiisache, binorama, subinche (Mexico) ;
espino blanco, espinal, subin (Guatemala) ; cachito
de aromo, espmo, subin (Hondurns) ; espino
blanco, espino ruco (El Salvador) ; cachito de
nromo (Nicarngua) ; pelti, cuji cimarrbn, uiia de
cnbra (Colombia) ; cuji aromo, pauji (Venezuela) ;
111inrangn (Peru) ; espino blanco (Bolivia) ; espinillo
(Uruguay, Argentina) ; sweet acacia, cassie,
huisache (United States) ; aroma, cashia,
opoponax (Bahamas) ; cassie-flower (Jamaica) ;
cuntich, cashaw (British Honduras) ; casha, cassie
(St. Barthglemy) ; acacia odorant (Guadeloupe) ;
cttsha (Dutch JVest Indies) ; es onjeira (Brazil).
BOTQANICAL SYNONYM.-Vac ellk famesiana
(L.) Wight & Arn.
A few other species of acacia, characterized by
twice pinnate leaves and mostly paired spines, are
untire or introduced trees and shrubs. Acacia
nudosa or spineless acacia (Acacia muricata (L.)
Willd.) is a small tree with no spines, lenflets 8-16
pairs on each axis, and many small whitish flowers
along an axis.
Suma-cntechu (Accrcicr sum (Roxb.) Kurz*) ,
an Old World tree introduced on St. Croix,. has
leaflets 10-40 pairs on each axis and small whitish
flowers along an axis.
The others have small yellow flowers in balls.
Tamnrindo silvestre or steel acacia (Acacia mcra-
cantha Humb. & Bonpl. ; synonyms A. macracan-
thoides Bert., Poponux macracanthoides (Bert.
Britton B: Rose), of the Virgin Islands, hss leaf-
lets 1540 pairs on each axis and pods somewhat
flattened.
Twisted acacia or cassia (Acacziz tortzlosa (L.)
Willd. ; synonym Poponax torfuosa (L.) Britton
b Rose), of the Virgin Islands, has leaflets 10-20
pairs on each axis pnd pods nearly cylindrical.
Goma arjbiga or gum-arabic (Acacie nizotica
(L.) Delile*), from Africa, is sometimes planted
for ornament and is reported to be naturalized
locnlly. It has 1030 pairs of leaflets on each axis
and narrow flattened pods narrowed between the
seeds.
Anegadn acacia (Acacia anegadeneis Britton;
synonym Fish1ocl:ia anegademia (Britton) Brit-
ton & Rose), known only from the island of Ane-
gada, has leaves with only 1 pair of lateral axes,
each with 1 or 2 pairs of leaflets.
P
Adenanthera pavonina L.*
3h inch in diameter and nearly 4/4 inch thick, borne
in pods 6-10 inches long.
A medium-sized deciduous tree to 40 feet high
and 1v2 feet in trunk diameter, with spreading
crown. The brown bark is smoothish wlth many
small fissures. Inner bark is light brown. Twigs
are stout and green.