Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE)
MIMOSA SUBFAMILY (MIMOSOIDEAE; MIMOSACEAE)
63. Guam6 venezolano Znga qudernata Poepp. & Endl.*
A rnpidly owing sprendin tree with a dense nei~rly half the length and spreading % inch
crorvn, relate i? to the native gu%a m~d gu:lmi and across; and the pistil about 7/s Inch long consists
introduced for coffee sl~nde, characterized by: of narrow ovary and threadlike st le.
(1) alternate pinilate leaves with usually 3 or 4 The pods are about $$-% inci thick, mostly
pairs (sonletirnes '2) of obovate to oblong, nearly rounded at both ends with a narrow point at apex
hairless, stiff, slightly lazthery leaflets, 21/24 and stalk : ~t base, light green, turning brownish,
inches long, befoming larger toward apes, short- becoming hairless, and do not split open. There
stalked, and w~th a round raised gland x6 inch :tre several oblong seeds about :% inch long in n
ncross on the \vingless axis between each pair of thin white sweetish pul . This whitish pulp is
leaflets; (2) the loose ball-like flower cluster about edible but too thin for t ! e pods to be of commer-
2 il~clies across the many spreading threadlike cia1 importance. Probably flowering and fruitin
white sttlmens, the numerous inclividual flowers on lnrlg through the year. Flowers collecte
stalks ?G-% inch long; and (3) fiuit a flattened in . 8
uly and August.
but thiclr pod 4-6 inches long and 1-1% inches The whitish snpvood is hard. The tree has
broad with raised border, and often a little curved. been used only for coffee shade and fuel in Puerto
A small to medium-sized evergreen tree, reach- Rico to date, mainly because of relatively recent
ing a. height of 26 feet and trunk diameter of 3 introduction.
inches or more at age of about 5 years. When Introduced about 1930 and distributed by the
older, attaining a height of 30 feet and a diameter Puerto Rico Forest Service for coffee shade, this
of 10 inches. Bark brown, smooth at first, ridged tree was at first thought to be imrnune to attack
slightly Inter. The inner bark is light brown and by hormiguilln, an insect pest on the related nasliglitly
bitter. The twigs are dark brown and
finely hairy when young.
Leaves nre 7-12 inches long, with a. brownishgreen
or brown asis 21/24 i~lclles long, finely hairy,
not win~wcl, and ending in n, point beyond last
pair of leaflets. The leaflets have short stout stalks
about v8 inch long. Leaflet blades are 1-31/2
inches wide, mostly short-pointed at both ends and
hroadest above middle, not toothed, nearly hairloss
except on veins, above yellow green to green and
shirnbillo (Peru).
slightly shiny, nncl beneath dull light green. BOTANICAL s~~oms.-Inga row80viana Pit-
Flower clusters (umbels) are borne at the end of tier, I. specws&8irnn Pittier.
i1 lateral stalk 1h-1 inch long, usually 2 clusters :~t
Besides the 2 native and 1 introduced species
base of a leaf. The narrow tubular light green described here, a few other species of Inga have
ralyx of the slightly fragrant flowers is inch been planted for coffee shade. Guama peludo
long, 5-toothed and finely hairy; the narrow tubu- (Ingn fastuosa Willd.'), from Venezuela, is ensily
lar whitish-green corolla about 3/8 inch long, 5- recognized by the reddish-hairy twigs and lar
toothed, and finely hairy; the numerous white flirt pods up to 12 inches long and 2% inches wig stanlens are 7/g-1 inch long including the tube tllso reddish hairy.
tive species. It has since roved susceptible; but
:IS the tree is very adapta ! le, survives n-ell, ppvides
a low shade at early a e, and is ver ens~ly
ropngated, it probably wil f continue to $ e used
For this purpose. Now found in coffee plantations
in the upper and lower Cordillera regions
and in the moist limestone region.
R,\NGE.-Southern Mexico and Guatemala to
Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil.
OTHER COMBCON NAMES.-bflbri (Panama) ;