Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

lleartwood is light brown to light cliocolate brown.
The wood is moderately hard and is resistant to
attack by dry-wood termites. Used for shacle and
fuel. In India the ~vood 11ns been employed for
construction and ngricult~irnl impleme~~ts.
Introduced by the Commontvenlt,li Forest Serv-
ice in 1924 and sparingly plnnt,ed in Puerto Rico,
such as nlong roadsides for shnde arid fenceposts
in the dry areas and in g~irdens. The propagntion
of this species for farm plantings mas increased
during the 1940's becn~ise it was considered a
promising rapid-growing fuelwood species for the
LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE)
constnl and lower mountain regions. The trees
Inny be wised from seed or cntt.ings. However,
most of the trees 11nre suffered severely from a
fung~~s disease which causes diebnck or death. For
this renson tlie s ecies is no longer propngated.
Listed from St. l%omns more tllnn n century ago.
R~N(II.:.-Nntive of tropical Asin from India to
Cliinl~ and to Australia. AppnrentJy an nncommon
introduced tree in tlie Amer~cnn t,ropics.
Sometimes planted in southeni Florida.
OTIIER COMMON ~aar~s.-acacia (Puerto Rico) ;
tnll albizin, white siris (English).
MIMOSA SUBFAMILY (MIMOSOIDEAE; MIMOSACEAE)
62. Guam$ "sweetpea" lnga laurina (Sw.) Willd.
Gurtmi, which is commonly used for coffee
shade, is characterized by : (1) alternate pinnate
hairless leaves with leaflets usually 2 pairs (somotimes
1 pair), green to dark green, ellsiptic or
ovnte, the outermost lenflets usually considerably
larger than the first pair, slightly thickened, nearly
stalkless, and with n minute round gland on the
wingless axis between each pair; (2) many white
brushlike flowers with numerous spreading stnmens
nnd 1 inch across on 1111 axis 3-6 inches long;
(3) flat pods 21/24Y2 inches long nnd %-I% inches
thick, sl~ghtly curved and wit11 rnised border; and
(4) whitish bnrk with prominent horizontal dark
lines (lenticels) .
A medium-sized evergreen tree 50-70 feet high
and 1y2 feet in trunk diameter, with a rounded
dense crown of dark peen foliage. The inner
bnrk is reddish and sligl~tly bitter. The twigs are
green when young, turning brown, with mnny
raised dots (lenticels) .
Leaves are mostly 3-8 inches long, the slender
green axis 14 inches long. Leaflet blades nre
24 incl~es long nnd 1-2 inches wide, blunt- or
short-pointed at apex, short-pointed and slightly
oblique at bnse, slightly shiny above, pale green
beneath, not toothed on ed es.
Flower clusters (spikesr are lateral or terminal,
single or paired, mnny sl~gl~tly fragrant stalkless
flowers being borne on n slender axis. The individual
flower, about %-% inch long to end of
tho stnmens, has n greenish tl~bulnr 5-toothed calyx
less than y8 inch long; greenish funnel-shaped
tubular 5-lobed corolln more thnn 1A inch long;
mnny spreading white threadlike stnmens 5/8-%
inch long, united into tube in lower part; and
pistil s/R inch long composed of slender ovary and
threadlike style. Often the flower cluster is de-
formed and much brnncliecl ns in a witches'-broom.
T11e pods are inch thick, rounded nt both
ends, pen when immature, turning brown, al-
most without edible pulp around the serernl seeds,
sot, splitting open. Flowering and fruiting
through the year.
The sapwood is whitish, and the nttrnctive heart-
\vood pt~le reddish brown, often streaked with
darker brown. The wood is moderately hard,
~l~ocler~ttely heavy (specific gravity 0.62), coarsetextnred,
strong, tough, and easily worked. It is
very susceptible to decay and to attack by dry-
~vood termites. The rnte of air-seasoning is rapid,
and amount of degrade is moderate. Machining
chnrncteristics are as follo\vs: planing, turning,
boring, mortising and fesistance to screw splitting
1u.e good ; shaping is fair; and snnding is excellent.
The wood is suitable for furnikre, cabinetwork,
tool I~andles, interior trim, general and heavy construction,
crntes, boxes, and flooring and has been
reco~n~nended for venear and plywood. However,
in Paerto Rico it is seldom used except for fuel,
c-l~nrconl, and fe~lceposts.
The trees nre planted extensively for coffee
shade and elsewhere for shnde for cacao also.
This is an im ortant honey plant.
Forests an i coffee plantations in the moist coast,
moist limestone, the lower mountnin, and the
upper Cordillera regions of Puerto Rico. Also
in Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John,
'I'ortola, and Virgin Gordn.
Prinr,~~ rn~~s~s.-Cambnlnche, Cnrite, Guajatncn,.
Guhnica, Guilarte, Luquillo, Maricao, Rio
Abn 10, Susba, Taro Negro, Vegn.
>IUNICIPA~,ITIES WHERE ERI~ECIALLY COXB~ON.-
6,47,53,59.
R,t~o~.-TXfest Indies from His nniola and
Pl~erto Rico and Virgin Islands to 8 xrenada and
13rlrbndos tind Trinidnd, and in northenstern Venez~~elr~
(Sucre). Also from western Mexico (Jalisco
tind Guerrero) and Guatemala to Panama.
Introduced into Cuba for coffee shade.
OTIIER COafXON ~~~~s.~panish-oak, pornsl~ock
(Virgin Islands) ;. jina (Dominican Republic)
; g~inmii de Puerto R~co (Cuba) ; palal (Guatemala)
; cujinicuil, paternillo, chapernillo (El
Snlvndor) ; gunvo (Panama) ; snckysac (Triniclnd)
; Spnnish-oak (Montserrnt, ~arbados) ; pois
donx, pois doux blanc (Gundeloape) ; pois doux
(hlartinique) .