Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

SABIA FAMILY (SABIACEAE)
144. Agnacatillo Meliosma herbertii Rolfe
A medium-sized tree of mountain forests characterized
by: (1) petioles with an enlargement at
base and 3/8-ll/q inches lon (2) dark green elliptic
leaves mostly broadest 6bi eyond the middle, 3-8
(sometimes 10) inches long and 1%-31/4 (sometimes
4) inches wide, short- ointed or blunt at
apex, short-pointed at base, e ges not toothed ex-
cept on young plants; (3) numerous minute
white 5-parted flowers less than y8 inch long and
broad in much-branched clusters; and (4) few to
many newly round fruits %-% inch long, dark
brown, violet., or black, and fleshy.
An everpen tree reaching 30430 feet in height
and 2 feet in trunk diameter. The bnrk is smoothis11
but slightly warty, gray, and thin, becoming
fissured on large trunks. Inner bark is brownish
and bittar. The gray twigs, hairless except when
young, have scattered reddish-bro~vn, corky marts
(lenticels) l/s inch or less in length.
The leaves are nlternnte, with the few lateral
veins sunken, sligllt,ly shiny on bot,ll sides, and
paler beneath. Young plants produce larger
leaves.
The branched flower clusters (panicles) are terminal
and lateral, 2-8 inches long and broad, and
~ninut.ely hairy. The flowers have a few minute,
llairy, overlapping scdes at bay. There are 5
rounded overlapping sepals l/la inch long, with
hairy border, remaining attached at base of fruit;
petals 5, white, the outer 3 larger and more than
$i6 inch long and 2 small narrow scales; 5 stamens
opposite the petals and united wit11 them at base,
2 fertile stamens o posite the small petals and 3
sterile (staminodesr; and pistil \\?it11 ovary, style,
and 2 minute stigmas.
Fruits (drupes) are light green when immature,
nearly round but longer than broad, hare a l?rge
I-seeded stone, and remain attached for some tlme.
S
Flowering and fruiting nearly through the year.
The sapwood is light brown, and the attractive
heartwood light brown with darker streaks and
often an attractive orange overcast. The wood is
moderately heavy (specific gmvity 0.42) firm,
tough, n-ith moderntely coarse texture, stralght to
frequently interlocked grain, and faint growth
rings. It is low in durability and very susceptible
to attack by dry-wood terrnrtes. The rate of airsensoning
is moderate, but the amount of degrade
is considerable. Machining characteristics are as
f0110\t-~ : p lanin . f and resistance to screw splitting
are excel ent, s aping, turning, boring, and mortising
are poor ; and sanding is good.
Fen. trees become large enough for commercial
timber. Uses elsewhere include construction and
cni~ent~y. Thouqh difficult to work, the wood is
suitable also for furniture, cabinetwork, paneling
interior trim, and boxes and crates.
Forests of the lower mountain regions of Puerto
Rico. Also in Tortola.
PUBLIC m~~~~~.-Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo,
Tom Negro.
RANGE.-Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Tortolrt,
and Lesser Aritilles from St. Kitts to Grenada.
Also in northeastern Venezuela.
OTHER COMMON NA~E8.-arroyo, cacaillo, cacao
bobo (Puerto Rico) ; cacao cimarrbn, cacao bob0
(Dominican Republic) ; gross grain (Grenada) ;
bois violet, graines violettes, graines vertes
(Guadeloupe) ; mild cocon (Trinidad).
Arroyo (NeZiosma obtu8ifoZid (Bello) Krug &
Urban) is rt related, less common tree species
known only from mountain forests of Puerto Rico.
It has lenves rounded at apex and smaller nsarly
round fruits about S/g inch in diameter. Other
common names are cacaillo, cerrillo, cirnlillo, and
guayamte.