Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

CASHEW FAMILY (ANACARDIACEAE)
134. Jobo, hogplum, yellow mombin Spondhs mombin L.
Jobo, which grows wild and is planted as a
fence row tree and for its fruit, is recognized by:
(1) numerous spinelike projections l/-8/q inch
long on the thick, corky bark of the trunk; (2) a
very spreading yellow-green crown, usually with
few nearly horizontal branches; (3) pinnate leaves
8-16 inches or more in len th with 9-19 clsymmetrical
ovate or lace-shap$ short or long-pointed,
thin leaflets; (4) numerous small, fragrant, yellowish-white,
5- arted flowers nearly % mch
across in showy g ranched terminal clusters. and
(5) clusters of yellow, cylindrical, soft, juicy hits &-1v2 inches long and 3/4-1 inch in diameter,
e 'r ible though inferior.
A small to medium-sized deciduous tree to 60
feet in height and 2% feet in trunk diameter.
The whitish-brown or ay bark is smoothish except
for numerous spine y ike projections %-% inch
hi h, becoming rou h and furrowed. Inner bark
is fight pink and gghtlY bitter. A resin exudes
from cuts. The stout twigs are hairless or finely
hai
8; alternate leaves have slender and finely
hairy axes. The leaflets are more or less paired
except for the terminal one, on stalks inch
. Leaflet blades are 2-4 inches long and 1-1%
Ion!? inc es broad, short-pointed or rounded and oblique
at base, the edges not toothed or slight1 wav
yellow-green on u per surface and paler eneat .
A
g t
The spreading ower clusters (panicles) are 6-
12 inches or more in length, with flowers on short
stalks '/la inch or more in length. Flowers are
male or female and bisexual on the same tree
ceptible to atkack by dry-wood termites and other
insects.
In Puerto Rico the wood serves for fenceposts
and fuel. It is used also for soft-drink cases,
packing bxw, and matehes. It will produce ulp
for white paper and utility plywood and cou f d be
utilized for cheap furniture and light construction
where protected. Other uses elsewhere are as a
cork substitute and for charconl, nnd the bark ns
an astringent.
The trees are planted as living fenceposts and
for shade and ornament, being readily propagated
b cuttin and fast growing when not in deep
sKnde. !f% fruits can be eaten, though inferior
to the smaller fruits of purple mombin (Spondz'm
purpurea L.), and serve to fatten hogs and cattle.
A honey plant.
Along roadsides and fence rows and in pastures
and forests in the coasta.1, moist limestone., and
lower mountain regions of Puerto Rico perhaps
naturalized rather than native. Also in At. Croix,
St. Thomas, St. John, and Tohla.
PUBLIC FOREBTS.-A irre, Cambalache, Carib,
Guajataca, Luquillo, %aricao, Rlo Abajo, San
Juan, Susiia, Vega.
MUNICIPALITIES WHERE ESPECIALLY COMMON.-
8,25,30, #.
RANGE.-Throughout West Indies except Bahamas
and froin southern Mexico to Peru and
Brazil, in part cultivated or naturalized. Planted
in southern Florida. Also in Old World tropics,
perhaps introduced.
O!CHER ~MB~ON N~~~~.-jobillo, jobo gusanero,
jobo vano, jobo de perm (Puerto Rico) ; jobo
(Spanish, commerce) ; ciruela amarilla (Dominican
Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador ; job0 de
puerco, jobobiin, ciruela (Dominican Bepublic)
lob0 hembra (Cuba) ; jwds jobo, jobo jmod
&Guatemala) ; ciruela de monte,. locote (Honurn)
; jocote, jocote de jobo, ciruela de job,
jocote montanero (Nicaragua) ; hogplum, wildplum
(Costa Ric4 Panama); job blanco, job0
colorado, job de castilla (Colombia) ; cuaio,
amn, zapatero (Venezuela) ; yellow mombm,
f&plum (United States) ; hogplum (English) ;
Bequia-plum (Bequia) ; hoba, hubu, plum-bush
(British Guiana) ; mombin, monbin (French) ;
mombin
j
franc, myrobalane (Haiti) ; mombin
fruits jaunes, prune mombin, prune Myrobolan
Guadeloupe) ; prunier mombin, monbiiier
French Guiana) ; macaprein, hoba, yellow-plum
Dutch West Indies) ; mop6 (Surinam, commerce)
; mopp(i2 monbe hooboo (Surinam) ; ccljh,
cn'lmirim, cap seira (~razil) .
boraswfi smo-r.-~po~im ~utea L.