Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

SOAPBERRY FAMILY (SAPINDACEAE)
143. Ceboruquiilo Thouinia striata Radlk.
A small to medium-sized tree of Puerto Rico
recognized by : (1) compound leaves with 3 elliptic
or obovate leaflets, the middle leaflet largest, broad-
est beyond middle, saw-toothed on edges, and
short-pointed at apex and base, the lower surface
and with rominent veins; (2) small
whitish owers less t f' an 4/s inch long and broad,
4-parted, numerow., and short-stalked in very nar-
row clusters 1V24 Inches long and s/8 inch wide at
leaf bases; and (3) brown narrow winged key
fruits 74% inch long, borne in 3's.
An evergreen tree to 50 feet in height and 8
inches in trunk diameter, with an erect crown.
The bark is gray, rough, broken into thin rectan-
gular scaly plates. Inner bark is light brown and
slightly bitter. The brownish twim are finely
hairy, p en when young.
The alternate leaves are 4-8 inches long, with
leaflets at the end of a minutely hairy petiole
1/2-21/2 inches long, the leaflets with short ?talks
about ?As inch lon . Leaflet blades are 2%-6 inches
long and 1-3 inc f es broad, slightly thickened, the
upper surface yellow green and hairless except on
veins, the lower surface light p en and densely
soft hairy.
The lateral flower clusters (panicles) commonly
have 2 main finely hairy branches. Flowers are
male, female, and bisexual ( olygamous), borne
on stalks less than 4/8 inch f ong. There are 4
yellow-green hairy sepals less than inch long;
4 white narrow hairy petals more than 1/16 inch.
long, notched at apex.; 8 stamens on a disk; and
pistil composed of hairy 3-celled ovary and slender
style 3-lobed at apex.
The fruits (samaras) are dark brown at the narrow
base, slightly hairy, 1-seeded, with a long light
brown wing j/q inch broad. Flowering and fruitin
from spring to fall.
%he sapwood is light brown. The woad is had,
tough, and heavy (specific gravity 0.9). It is used
chiefly for posts.
Forests of the moist limestone and lower Cordillera
regions in western Puerto Rico.
PUBLIC FORESTS.-Cambalache, G)uajataca, Maricao,
Rio Abajo, Sus6a.
MUNICIPALITIEB WHERE ESPECIALLY COMMON.--7,
9,23,24,31,34,68.
RANC+E.-I(~OW~ only from herto Rim.
OTHER COMMON ~~xm.-quiebmhacha, quebracha,
serrasuela, guab& Puerto Rim).
BOTANICAL SYNONYM.- d
hym striata; (Radlk.)
Britton.