Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

117. Violeta, violet-tree
MILKWORT FAMILY (POLYGALACEAE)
Xntive only in Puerto Rico, violeta is \\.ell
the beautiful masses of violet-colored
lcnO'ra flo\re~s I? :l )ant, :)!* inch across, slightly pea-shaped,
~rhich cover the t,rce ftvm February to March or
April, ge~~crnlly wlle~i leafless. Other distinguislli~ig
cllttracters nre: (1) the elliptic yellow-green
leitvcs 2-6 iiiclles long, slightly th~ckened and
letlthery, trill1 11 pecul~nr arrnngement of many
net~rlg >:l~-nllel, slightly wised, thln, lateral veins;
:lac1 (B\ fr~~it II ili~ttesetl cnpssle 11/1-11h inches
lo~~g, \\?it h 2 ro~ultled wings, 1 large and 1 sainll.
A small to ~netlin~n-s~zed deciduous tree 1540
feet tall wit11 trunk 4-8 inches ill diameter, rnrely
to 65 feet in height 1111cl to 2 feet in diameter. The
h:lrk is saioothisll to slightly fissured, inner
E:k ligl~t brown mtl bitter. The slender, light
green twigs nre ulinutely hairy when young.
The lenres :Ire cllternate on short petioles l,~~:3/s
i11c11 long. Leaf blndes are 1-21L2 inches m~de,
short- ointed to i.ounded at both ends, slightly
turnec ender nt edges, shiny above and dull be-
neath. r
The flowers np ear in profusion hen bhe trees
11t-e lenfless or be I' ore the old leaves are shed, borne
on slender stalks in short lateral clusters (racemes).
Dotli c:llys and corolla are violet. There
rlre :3 slnall sepals inch long and 2 large
elliptic sepals (wings) $is inch long; usually 13
uneqnnl petals nbout yia ~nch long, the centml
petal ltecletl and enclosing the sta~nen tube, nsd
sol~~etil~~es 2 tldditionnl petals $48 inch long; 8
stc~i~lens 11e:lrly inch long, united into n split
wllitisll tube; and pistil consisting of green
Polygala cowellii (Britton) Blake
rounded 2-celled ovary '/lo inch long and curved
style y& inch long.
'I%e seecl c~psule has a large curved or rounded
wing ly,-llh inches long on 1 side and n small
wi~ig inch long on tho other and contains 1 or
so~~~etir~lcs 2 Iltliry seeds inch long, maturing in
Mnrch or April.
The yellow or light brown ~vood is hard and is
litkle used.
Tlio trees are worthy of cultivation as ornqmeritnls
for tlie very sliotry flo~rers. They are evidently
slow gro~vinq
In forests of liillsides and arroyos, mostly in the
soutllerti constnl region but scattered also through
the moist limestone and lo~rer Cordillera regions
of Puerto Rico. Rare on the limestone hills of the
nertliern coast near Toa Baja, Vega Baja, and
Arecibo.
Pon~~c mnr~~.-Gu6nica.
R~~o~.-Kno\rn only from Puerto Rico.
OTIIER COMMON NAJIEB.-~~~~~ de violeta, palo
de rioletn, pnlo de tortuga, tortuguero (Puerto
Rico) ; Puerto Rican violet-tree (English).
BOTANICAL s~~os~~r.-Ph2ebotaenia cowelzii
Britton.
The scientific name honors John Francis Cowell
(185%1015), director of the Botanical Garden of
Bufialo, New York, ~rlio aided in collecting at
Conmo Springs tlie botanical specimens from
which this species wns described.
Trees nre unusunl in this genus. The 4 other
Puerto Ricnn species are herbs.