Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

and naturalized in roadsides, thickets, and river
banlcs in the coastal, limestone, and lower mountain
regions. Also in Trieques, St. Crois, St.
Thomas, St. John, and Tortola.
R.\x-c.~.-Native of southeastern Asia, originally
described from 13urmn. Planted and escaped or
naturalized thro~~gl~out the lTTest Indies fro111 Cuba
and Jainaica to Bnrbitdos and Trinidad. Cultivated
in southeril Florida. Also introduced in
northern South America from French Guisna to
Colo~nbia, in El Salvador, and perhaps elsewhere.
OTIIER COI~JION ~~Ir~s.-flamboyfin blanco, SFplina,
vnrittll variable, alas de angel, baujin~a
(Puerto Rico) ; Napoleon's plume, poor man's
orchid, bauhinin (Virgin Islands) ; flamboyhn extranjero,
flanlboytin cubano, pats de vaca (Dominican
Republic) ; casco de mulo, pata de vaca
(Cuba) ; umpe (Venezuela) ; butterfly bauhinia,
butterfly-flolrer, pink bauhinia, pink orchidtree
LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE)
(TTnited States) ; Je~usalem-date, bntterfly-flower
(Jnmaica) : cleus jurnelles, carnctdre des homnles
(Haiti) ; vlinderbioenl (Dutch West Indies).
BOT~\XIC,\L slr~oxnrs.-Buuhinian knpplen'
Sagot, Cnapar-eopsis ?rt.o~ta?id?*a (Kurz) Britton &
Rose.
The specific name refers to the odd single stamen
nd~ich, holvever, is not restricted to this species.
Tlle 2-lobed leaf characteristic of the genus corresponds
to n leaf with 1 pair of leaflets partly
united.
A few related species of shrubs or sinall trees
have been introduced as ornamentals. Pnlo de
orquideas, poor man's orchid, or Buddhist baul~inia
(Bmhinia vnriegata I,.*; synonym Phnera
~!crrz'cgata (L.) Henth.) , has large variegated orchidlilce
flowers with 5 stamens and the leaves divicled
to the middle into 2 lobes.
CASSIA SUBFAMILY (CAESALPINIOIDEAE; CAESALPINIACEAE)
72. Caiiafistula, golden-shower Cassia fktula L.*
This familiar planted tree occasionally escaping
from cultivation is identified by : (1) the large even
innate leaves 12-16 inches long, w~th 8-16 paired,
Krp,.very thin, ovate leaflets 3-6 inclles long and
194-294 inches broad i (2) long droo ing clusters
of long-stalked, beautiful, golden ye1 f ow flotl-ers 2
I inches ttcross the 5 widely spreading petals; and
(3) very long cylindrical blackish pods 15-24
inches long and about 3h incl~ in diameter.
-4 medium-sized deciduous tree reported to become
50 feet tall and 1y2 feet in trunk diameter,
usually much smaller, with straight axis, horizontal
and spreading branches, and an open crown of
thin foliage. Tha bark is smooth and gay, becoming
scaly and reddish brown. The dark green
twgs are minutely hairy.
The alternate leaves are composed of 8-16 leaflets
with sl~ort stalks l/g-l/ inch long, loosely a?mnged
along the slender, finely hairy, green ans.
Leaflet blades are short-pointed at both ends, not
toothed on edges, green and hairless on upper surface,
and paler and minutely hairy beneath.
The flower clusters (racemes), terminal and unbranched,
8-24 inches or more in length, bear several
to many lax, slightly fragrant flowers on very
slender, nearly horizontal, green stal ks 1%-2
inches long. There are li yellow-green finely halry
sepals 3/1& inch long; 5 stalked nerirly equal, bright
yellow petals 1-1% inch long, elliptic and with
reins; 10 stamens, 3 of which have very long filnments,
soon falling; and slender, curved, minutely
hairy, green pistil 1y2 inch long with stalked,
slender, l-celled ovary and style.
The pods, which hang downloard, do not split
open but have many cross \~alls, each containing
a single seed embedded in dark brown sweetish
pulp. The seeds are shiny, light brown, and flattened.
Flowering and fruit~ng nearly through
the ear. TL reddish wood is very hard, heavy (specific
gravity kg), strong, and durable. Suited as a
construction mood and used also for cabinet and
inlay work, farm implements, and posts.
In Puerto Rico the trees are valued principally
as ornamentals for the showy golden flowers.
However, the trees are very susceptible to attack
by scale insects.
The drug cassia fistula, a mild laxative, is obtained
from the sweetish pulp of the seed pods,
which are sold in local markets for this purpose.
The medicinal properties were known even by the
ancient E ptians. Flowers, seeds, and bark have
tanning. P'
been emp oyed also in medicine, and the bark in
Along hi li\rays and streets and around houses
chiefly in t 7 le moist, and diy coastal regions of
Puerto Rico. Sometimes escaping and naturalized.
Also in Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St.
John.
RANGE.-Native of tropical Asia. Widely cultivated
and locally natumlized in the tropics including
West, Indies and continental tropical
America. However, in many places it is less common
t,21an related species known by the same common
names. Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto
Rico and Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, and Trinidad.
A common ornamental in southern Florida
tlnd planted also in Bernluda.
OTHER COBKNON ~~~r~s.-~aiiafistula, caiiafistola
(Spanish) ; golden-shower, golden-shower senna,
shower-of-gold, Indian laburnum, pudding-pipe