Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

101. Aceitillo, yellow-sanders, yellowheart
Formerly one of Puerto Rico's most v:lluable
timbers, this no~v scarce tree is distinguished by :
(1) tlle pinnate leaves with mostly 5-9 nearly
stalkless elliptic leaflets rounded or short-pointed
at apex ancl base, the edges without teeth or very
finely wavy, and \!-it11 minute gland dots; (2)
trunk and twigs not spiny as in related species;
(3) small yellowish 5-partecl spreading flomers 1h
inch across; and (4) the dry fruits of 1 or 2 dark
brown pocls % inch long.
A small to medium-sized diciduoas tree 20-50
feet lligll and 3-16 inches in trunk diameter or a
shrub. The bark is smootl~isll, slightly fissured,
light gray, and thin. Inner bark yellowish, wit11
citrus spicy taste. The twigs are stont, gray, and
finely gray hairy with minute star-shaped 11:tirs
\\yllei young. -
The leaves are alternate and 4-10 inches long.
Leaflets are paired except for the encl one, 1-3
inches long ancl 1/2-1% inches broad, thin, wit11
minute star-shaped hairs wllen young but becoming
almost hairless, and slightly shiny green at
maturity.
The much branched fl o\ver clusters (panicles)
are terminal arid 2-5 inclles long and broad. The
many short-stalked fragrant flomers are male and
female on clifferent trees (dioecious). Sep:lls 5,
minute, covered with gray star-shaped hairs,
petals 5; male flowers wit11 5 stamens about as
long as petals; and female flowers with pistil of
mostly 2-lobed 2-celled ovary (or 1-3-celled) and
mostly 2-lobed stigma.
The fruits are of 1 or 2 stalked pods (follicles),
splitting open and conhiining 1 neiirly round shiny
black seed l/s inch long. Flowering mainly with
the new leaves or from winter to summer and with
fruit from spring to fall.
The sapwood is n~hitish to light yellow, and the
heart~voocl yellow to yellomish brown. The wood
is very hard, heavy (specific gmvity 0.9), strong,
fine-grained, with clearly defined growth rings,
and with odor of coconllts or oil. It has a satiny
luster, takes a fine polish, and is resistant to attack
by dry-mood termites.
This beautiful decorative wood has been prized
for cabinetmaking, fine furniture, paneling, inlaid
work, veneer, and turnery. Other uses are backs
of hand mirrors and hairbrushes. IfTood fi red
with wavy grain is converted into veneer for f land-
RUE FAMTLY (RUTACEAE)
Zanthoxylum flavum Vahl
some f~~rnit~ire and paneling. It is reported that
Pilcrto Rico formerly procluced the finest West
Indian satin~~~oocl, both in quality and color, but
exports ceased \vith exhaustion of the supply.
Logs of figured mood commanded very high prices
by the cubic foot or by woigllt. Even the stumps
and roots were removed and shipped from Puerto
Rico as late as 1920.
This species can be planted for shade as well as
its fine moocl. It is also a honey plant, the flowers
attracting bees.
Protected forests in the serpentine and dry and
moist limestone re ions of western Plierto Rico,
now rare. Plantec f experimentally in the Guajataca
Forest, this s ~ecies is proving slow growing.
Trees 15 years olc / are scarcely 3 inches in diameter.
Reported many years ago from Bordeaux
Hills, St. .John, and possibly now extinct there.
Punr.rc 2-o~~s~s,-Carnba~ache, Guajatacn, Gu6nicn,
Mnricao.
RANGE.-Lower Florida ICeys (nearly extinct),
Bermuda, Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola,
Plierto Rico, and Lesser Antilles from Anyilla to
St. Lucia. Also recorded from Bonaire.
OTHER CO~TMON ~~tnr~s.--espinillo (Dominican
Republic) ; aceitillo (Cuba) ; yellowheart, satinmoocl,
yello~vheart prickly-ash, yell~~~\vood (Unitecl
States) ; IVest Indian satinn-ood, satinwood
(English, commerce) ; .Jamaican sitinwood, -
low-sanders (Jamaica) ; noyer, bois noyer ( d"' uadeloupe)
; Imlabarie (Bonaire) .
BOTANICAL s~~o~~nr.-Fagat+a flava (Vahl)
ICrap L Urban.
This genus, whose name frequently is spelled
IXanthoxylum, has 2 additional native tree species
and 2 of shrubs besides the 3 figured here. Anot,ller
species of espino rubial (Zanthoxylum caribaeum
Lam.; synonym Fagara catrbaea (Lam.)
ICr~ig & Urban) in so~itl~ern and western Puerto
Rico has pinnate leaves with 7-13 elliptic leaflets
rouncled at apex and with ~v-avy-toothed margins.
Alfiler (ZnnMoxylum punctatum Vahl ; synonym
Pagara trifolinta Sm.) , a spiny shrub or small
tree of southwestern Puerto Rico, Mona, and St.
Croix, has pinnate leaves with obovate or elliptic
leaflets, usually 3 or sometimes as many as 7 or
even 19, with variable apex, and relatively few
small 3-parted flomers in lateral clusters.