Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

greenish-yellow flovers, 5-parted. spreading, and West Indies mahogany was introduced into
jh inch across, are borne on short stalks. There Pr~erto Rico t~nd the I7irgln Islands more than 200
are 5 minute sepals, 5 whitish 07 yellotv spretlding yen13 ago. Iqi~w oltl trees recently cut near Guapetals
lh inch long, 10 stamens ~nside a short tube yam;i 011 the south const of Puerto Rico ranged
inch long, and pistil on a disk and composed of up to 53 inches in trunk diameter, one near Ponce
a 5-celled ovary, style, and flattened stigma. measured 50 in~l~es, and some in St. Crois are
The fruits are borne on long stalks, and the more tli~tn 50 inches. A number of small plantings
large 5-angled asis remains attached. The light were nincle by Dr. Agustin Stahl near Aguadilla,
brown seeds nre about 2-2% inches long and 1/1 Ton Altn, nnd BInnnti about 50 years ago. Ifore
inch broacl, npprosilnntely 3,200 to a ponnd. estensive for-est, plantations have been established
Flo~vers are borne mainly from Biarch to July on both public and private lands within the pasti
in Pl~erto Rico, and mature fruits are present 25 yeills. This spc~es hns roven better adapted
chiefly in the winter.
to dry rocky sites thnn fIonduras mahognny.
Tho sn wood is whitish or yellowish. The Trees 20 years old nenr San Germiin averaged 5
heal-tmoo 1 is reddish, pinkish, or yellowish when inches in dituneter and 35 feet in height. The
freshly cat, grndually turning dark rich ~~ddish abunclnnce of young trees developing beneath and
brown. The wood is moderately hard, heavy near tthe plnntntions rnny be pa~%Iy responsible for
(specific gl-nvity 0.7-0.8), and strong. It is very the populnr ~nisconception that the tree is native.
rcsistnnt. to decay and to attack by dry-wood ter- Plnnted also in Bfonn, St. Crois, St. Thomas, St.
mites.
John, and Tortoln.
The ~vood is used chiefly for furniture, cabinet- PURLIC m~~s~s.-Carnbn~ache, Guajataca, Gu6-
, interior finish, and veneers, being easily nicn, Luquillo, Mnricno, Rio Aba'o, Susla.
morke mnkil161 and taking n beautiful polish. It formerly RANQE.-.-Native in southern F I orida including
mrls employed in sllipbuilding, construction, and
for beams. Roots rind stumps of large trees a1.e
I~loridn ICeys, 13nhnmas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Hisespecinlly
rized for their irreg~~lar wavy grain. pnniola. Introduced in P~~erto Rico and Virgin
Considere c f superior in quality and durabi!~ty to Islands, Dennuda, throughout Lesser Antilles,
the \vood of Hondurns mahogany. T#Ile astr~~lge~lt Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuqao, south to
bitter bark has been used in medicine.
South America r~nd elsewhere in tropical regions,
Planted as a street and shade tree because of the nnd nnturalized locally.
' attractive spherical crown and dense shade. Often C~HER ~031310~ s~rir~s.--caoba, cmba de Santo
grown in southern Florida where also native. Re- Domingo (Pnerto Hico, Spanish) ; small-leaf maported
to be a honey plant.
hognny, m~i hogany (Virgin Islnnds) ; caobilla
The oldest sl~rr~ving use of mahognny by Enro- (Cuba) ; \Irest Indies mnliogany, West Indian
)eitn rolonists is saitl to- be in the cathedrnl at mahogany, mahognny (United States, English,
knnto Do~ningo (Ci~atl Trjilo), Dominican commerce) ; mttdiern
Republic, completed in 1550. It contains mucll
(Bahamas) ; Spanish macarved
nlnllognny \vood~vork still in fine condition
hognny (St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago) ;
after more thnn four centuries in the tropics and
acajou (Haiti) ; mnhognny petites feuilles
r\ rough-hewn tilahogany cross bearing the date (Guadeloupe, Biartinique) ; mahognny, mahogany
1514, the ear construct~on \\-:ls begun. The Do- du pays, acajou de Saint Domingue (Guade-
~oinicnn Hepublic has selected the mahogany loupe) ; mahok (Dutch West Indies) ; mahoni
flower for its national emblem.
(Surinam).
MAHOGANY FAMILY (MELIACEAE)
113, Tinacio, broomstick Trichilia hirta L.
A small tree or shrub of dry nrens charncterized
by: (1) n rounded crown of dense foliage;
(2) alternate pinnnte leaves with 7-21 Innceshapetl
to elliptic lenflets slightly oblique at base
with s~~nlten reins nbove; (3) several to many
slnall g.1-eenisli-~vllite or pale yello\v, 5-parted
flo!vers ~ibout 3/1,; incll long and broad in branching
cluste~~s nt lenf bnses; and (4) rounded greenishbro\vn
seetl capsules R/g-!h inch in diameter, finely
hairy, splitting widely ~nto 3 parts and esposing
usually 3 o~-c~n~e-red seeds.
Decricl~~ous, k-20 feet Iiigh with trunk .Ui inches
in diameter, elsewhere a tree to 50 feet in height.
The brown or gray bark is rough, fissured and
scaly or furro\ved, nnd tile whitish inner bark is
bitter. The twigs arc green t~nd finely hairy when
young, becoming brownish.
Leaves are 0-12 inches or more in length,'the
slender round green nsis beltring leaflets on short
later111 stallis 1/1& inch long. Leaflet blades are
141h inclies long and l/i-lW inuhes wide, bluntly
long- or sllort-pointed at apes, the side toward
apes of asis bronder at the rounded or shortpointed
bclsc, not toothed at edges, thin, above
sliglitly shiny pen to dark p n , and beneath
paler and often sliglltly hairy.