Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

SPURGE FAMILY (EUPHORBIACEAE)
Icey to the 12 spedes Illustrated (Nos. 118129)
A. Leaves 3 or more at a node; nodes wlth rings-122. Euphorbia petiolade.
AA. Leaves alternate; nodes without rlngs.
B. Leaves with 3 main veins from base.
C. Leaves wlth coarsely sat\--toothed edges nlicl 2 straight laternl veins from rounded base-118. Alchornea
latilolfa.
CC. Leaves with Inconsplcuouely wavy-toothed edges and 2 curved veins fro111 short-pointed basoll9.
AlcAortteopeis portoriceneia.
BB. Leaves with 1 main rein or mldrlb.
D. Petlole more thnn 1 incli long; leaves in more than 2 rows.
E. Lenves with eereral lt~ternl reins nt acute nnglw to mldrlb.
F. I~nres short-pointed at base, tlle edges not toothed ; tiny dotlike brown wales on twlge, petioles,
and lcnf blades.
0. Leaves thlck and leathery, short-pointed at both ends, petiole sllvery brown-120. Croton
poecilatrtlrtia.
00. Leaves sliglitly thlckened, rounded or blunt-polnted at both ends, petiole usually reddish
tinged-126. IIueronfsta cltiaioklcs.
FF, J.eaves broad nt base, with tootl~ecl edges, without scales, mostly l~alrless.
11. Leaves el~ort-pointed nt apex nnd rounded nt bael.34. Iiippomane nlattcit~ella.
HH. 1.enves abnlptly lon~pointecl at apes and heart-shaped at bnse--125. Hura crepitans.
EE. Leaves with mnny stmight, porallel Intern1 veins almost at right angles to midriG120. Sapiunr
laurocerasus.
DD. Petlole short, less thnn Inch long ; lenres In 2 rows.
I. Leaves broadest beyond middle, often with a few teeth toward apex-123. Qymnantliee lucida.
11. Leaves lbroadcst klow or nenr midcllc, wlthout teeth.
J. I&ares mnny nlong slender clecltlrlous twigs and appearing to be plnnate, orate, 1-3 Inches long,
on very short petioles % inch long-127. PAilllantAtis acidus.*
JJ. Leaves severnl, not appearing to I)c plnnnte, 24 inches long, on petloles more than % inch long.
K. Leaves widely spaced, lance-shaped, slightly thlckened, upper mrfnce slightly shiny-la.
Drypetea glarrca.
KK. Leaves hanging down, elliptic, thin, upper surface dull green, lower snrfnce pale whitish
green-128. PRyllanthtie nobkliu.
118. Achiotillo Alchornea latifolia Sw.
A widely distributed tree distinguislied by : (1)
reddish-brown smooth bark; (2) long-petiole8
lnrge yellow-pen elliptic lenves wit11 conrgely
snm-toothed edges nnd 2 prominent, long, strn~gl~t
laternl veins at the rounded base, and short-
pointed at apex; (3) many small greenish or
ellom - green stalkless flowers, the mnle on
Knclied lateral nxes nnd the female on 1111-
brnnclied nxes of different trees (dioecious) ; and
(4) seed capsules % inch in diameter, with 2 long
styles, 2-seeded.
A medium-sized evergreen sprending tree nt,-
2-celled ovary less tlian 1/8 inch long and 2 long
styles 1/2-3? inch long.
Seed cn sules are nearly round but sliglitly flattenecl,
dtlr r red \\.lien immnture but becoming dark
bromn, the 2 long brown styles brenlring off.
There nre 2 red, tubercled seeds incll long.
Flowering nnd fruiting nenrly tllrougl~ the year.
The lienrt~vood is light btwn-n, nnd the snp~vood
sinlilnr or tvhitish. The wood is fairly soft, moderntely
light\veigl;ht (specific gravity 0.30), moderately
stroll for its \veight, of medium texture,
wit11 strnig f ~t to sliglltl wavy grain, nnd ~vithout
tnining 30-50 feet in height and 1,' feet in trunk gronytli ri~~gq. Reddis r 1-brown rndial cntinls apdiameter.
Tlie inner bnrk is rvl~iti$ii and slightly pear on the snrft~ce as smnll Iloles. Tlie rnte of
bitter. The bro\rn twigs, greenish and wit11 air-seasoning and nnio~~nt of degrnde nre modergroups
of tiny stnr-shaped hairs \!-lien yotttig, linre ate. ALncliining charncteristics are ns follo\vs:
raised nearly rouncl lenf scnrs.
planing is good; sllnping, turning, boring, and
Tlie alternate lenves hare petioles 1yL-21/2 inches mortis~~ig rtre poor; sanding is very poor; nncl relong
nncl blades 11-71/2 (sometimes to 10) i~icllcs sist:i~ice to scro~v splitting is excellent. The \vood
1011 and 21/2-41/2 inches broad, slightly thickenecl, is not durri\)le n~id is very susceptible to nttack by
ttnt f sligl~tly shiny on upper surfnce. The base IIIIS dry-wood termites n11r1 otller insects.
24 smnll glnnds, nnd lower surfnce hns mi~iute In Puerto Rico the wood is used for posts and
tufts of hairs in rein angles and, \\.lien young, scat- &]el. It is suitable for k~te sticks and otlier srnnll
tered small stnr-shaped hairs.
bent parts, boxes, crates, toys, temporary cement
The flower clusters (spikes) are 2-8 inches long, forms, and utility veneer. With ~~reservntive
wit11 groups of tiny stnr-shnped hsit-s on the slen- treatment it would serve for light cnrpentry and
der nses. Mnle flowers are few together, about l/n some types of exterior constn~ction.
incli long nnd broad, with calyx splitting into 3 This rnpidly growing tree has been introduced
or 4 lobes and with 8 or fewer stt~mens. Female for shade In soutllern Florida.
flowers single or pnired nlong n drooping nxis Iinve Commonest in the mountnin forests of Puerto
n 4-lobed calyx '/la inch long nnd pistil wit11 Rico, including the upper mountain regions, but
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