Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

CALTROP FAMILY (ZYGOPHYLLACEAE)
94. Guayacdn blanco, holywood lignumvitae Guaiacum sanctum L.
A small tree of dry areas characterized by:
(1) bark deeply fissured vertically; (2) opposite,
even pinnate leaves with mostly 6-10 stalkless,
oblique, elliptic or obovate leaflets ending in a minute
point, with several veins from base; (3) blue
flowers y8 inch across bhe 5 spreading hairless
petals, usually a few in terminal clusters shorter
than the leaves; and (4) yellowish or orange capsule
% incll 10119, deeply 5- or Pangled or winged.
A11 evergreen tree 15-30 feet high with short
stout trunlr 8 inches or more in diameter, and dense
round crown of spreading or drooping bmnches.
The light gnly bark is rough. Inner bark is light
brown and slightly bitter. Sapwood is light yellow
and very hard. The light gray twigs are enlarged
at nodes, sliglltly angled, and green and
minutely llai~y \vhen young.
The leaves 21,-3% inches long have paired minute
hairy scales (stipules) at base and a green
minutely hairy axis. Leaflets am 5/8-1 inch long,
Y8-3/4 inch wlde, short-pointed at base, rounded
and minutely pointed at apex, not tnothed on
edges, broadest above middle and on the side toward
base of lenf, slightly thickened and leathery,
hairless, and green on both sides. During the hottest
part of the day the paired leaflets often fold
together.
Flowers are borne on slender minutely hairy
stalks 3/q-1 inch long attached between the uppermost
air of leaves. There are 5 blunt-pointed
slight I' y hairy sepals 4/4 inch long; 5 blue petals
5/1& inch long, narronred at base and in part
2-lobed at apex; 10 stamens nearly yL inch long;
and stalked pistil 1/4 inch long, the ovary with 5
or 4 angles and cells and ending in pointed style.
Seed capsules are 5/8 inch long and inch across
the angles, broadest near the short-pointed apex,
containing dark brown or black seeds about s/8
inch long, each with a scarlet fleshy covering
(aril) . Flowering and fruiting from spring to
f all.
Sapwood is light yeIlow and very hard, and
heartwood becoming gmnish or brown on exposure.
The wood has clearly defined grolvth rings,
is resinous wit11 a chamteristic odor, very hard,
very heavy (specific gravity about 1.1), and very
durable. It resembles the mood of common lignumvitae
(Guaimum oficinale L.) and has similar
uses but is less valuable. Like its relative this
species of lignumvitae formerly mas official in medicine
for similar purposes.
Sometiilles planted ns a handsome blue-flowered
ornamental in Puerto Rico, southern Florida, and
elsewhere.
In thickets and forests in the dry coastal and dry
limestone regions of Puerto Rico from Ponce to
Cabo Rojo. Also in Mona.
Poet~c mms~.-Gu&nica.
R~Na~.-Florida Keys, Bahamas Cuba, Hispaniola,
Puerto Rico, and &Ion%. A ~ in O Mexico
(Yucatlin) , Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicars
pa. Recorded from Donaire, Curqao, and
An~ba, p~rhaps in cultivation. Planted in southern
Florida Trinidad, and elsewhere in tropical
America. he botanical type specimen came
from Puerto Rico.)
OTHER COBIMON KAMES.- ayacrin de Vera,
y ayacancillo (Puerto ~icor Ten, payampcillo
(Dominican Republic, Cuba) ; yayacan
Manco (Cuba) ; guaymlin Mexico, Guatemala,
Nicaraglla) ; palo santo (I fexico) ; holymood
lignumvitae, roughbark lignumvitae, lipumvitne
(United States) ; lignumvitae (English, commerce)
; bois saint, gaiac blanc ga'iac femelle
(Haiti) ; wayaka shlmarbn, beera,boeloebarie, wajakaa
mmtsjoe (Dutch \\Test Indies).
BOTANICAL ~PNONYN.-GU~~CU?U~ guatemakn~e
Planch.