Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

BUCKTHORN FAMILY (RHAMNACEAE)
Key to the 4 species illustrated (Nos. 145-1481
A. Leaves with 1 mnin vein or midrib, edges not toothed ; twlm not spiny.
B. Lenves mostly short-polnted at apex, lateral veins curved and prolonged near margins.
C. Leaves slightly thickened, the lower surface, petioles, and aPlg8 wlth rusty brown hairs, e$peclfIllY
when young-145. Colubrina arborescens.
CC. Leavee thin, the lower surface pale green and minutely hairy-146. Colubrlna recllnda.
BB. Leaves rounded at both ends and slightly notched at apex, nearly hairle8s-147. Krugfodendron fmeum
M. Leaves with 3 main veins from bnse, edgea often minutely toothed; twigs with paired or single spin+148
Sarcomphalue retf~UlafU8.
145. Abeyuelo, coffee colabrina Colubrfna arboreecens (Mill.) Sarg.
This usually small tree is identified by: (1)
rusty-brown hairs on young twigs young leaves,
veins or lower surface of mature ieaves, petioles,
and flower clusters; 2) slightly thickened elliptic
leaves 11/24 inches \ ong and x-3 inches broad,
blunt- or short-pointed at apex and rounded at
bnse, with the prominent lateral veins curved and
rolonpd near margins, the up er surface sllghtf!y
shiny green and nearl hair P ess,, and the lower
r
surfaq lighter green nndlfinely hury; (3) small,
sprendlng, 5-parted, greenish and rust -brown
hairy flowers g/16-l/q inch across in ma1 laternl
clusters; and (4) rounded dark brown or blackish
seed capsules about Vq inch in diameter, 3-seeded, ciently large.
Commonly 10-15 feet high and 2 inches or less Planted as n shade tree in southern Florida,
in trunk diameter but sometimes 25 feet or more in Guatemala, and El Salvador. Recent forest planheight,
evergreen, with spreading crown. Bark tations of this species in the Guilarte Forest conof
small trees is brown or y, smwthish, and tain rapid-pwing trees of good form. The shiny
thin, peeling off in small t 8" in flakes, on larger seeds of thls and related species have been made
trunks becoming fissured. Inner bark is light into necklaces and similar ornaments in Jamaica.
brown or pink and slightly bitter. Older twigs Thickets and forests in the coastal and limeare
gray or reddish brown.
stone regions, chiefly in the drier areas of Puerto
hves are alternate in 2 rows and hare petioles Rico. Also in Mona, Icacos, Vi ues, Culebra, St.
%-4/2 inch long. Blades are 1s-6 inches long Croia, St. Thomas, St. ~ohn>ortola, Virgin
and 94-3 inches broad? not toothed on "We" Gorda, and Anegada.
Trees planted in molst sites of Puerto ~co are PUBLIC FORE~TB.-BO~U~~~~, Cnmbalache, Gunso
different in their more vigorous rapid growth jntnca, GuEinicn, Guilnrte, Rio Abajo.
that the scarcely seem to represent the same spe- ~~uNIcIPALITY WHERE EBPECLiLLY C O ~ O N . ~ ~
cies. T l! ey become 40-50 feet in height and 6-10 RANOE.-Southern Florida including Florida
inches in trunk diameter, with long stout nearly Keys and ?Vest Indies from Bahamas and Cuba
horizontal branches bearing 2 rows of large coarse to Antigun and in Barbados. Also southern
leaves. These much lar er leaves have stout eti- Mexico, Guatemala, and Hondurns, and introduced
oles S/g-1 inch long an if blades 8-11 inches P ong in El Salvador.
and 4-6 inches wide. The flowers are similar, C~"~'ER COBZBION NABCEB.-~0ra~6n de paloma,
thou h the seed capsules ma be slightly larger. cuerno de buey (Dominican Republic) ; bijhyara,
The 3 rawings illustrnte both t K e typical and large- birijagua, fuego (Cuba) ; cnscalata (Mexico) ;
leaf forms.
coxt6, costex, guayabillo (Guatemala) ; dhaquirio,
Flower clusters are 1h inch across or smaller
almost stalkless, with severnl, mostly dhort-stalked
chaquirn (El Salvador) ; coffea colubrina, nakedflowers.
The short cuplike base (hypanthium) wood, wild-coffee (United States) ; common snakebears
5 spreading, pointed sepals more than '/la bark, bitters (Bahamas) ; greenheart, snake-wood,
inch long greenish and on outside rusty-brown black velvet, wild ebony, mountain ebony (Jahairy,
and 5 smaller narrow yellow etals folded maica) ; blackbend-tree (Barbados) ; bois de fer,
around the '5 o posite stamens; and t e pistil con-
s
R
bois mabi, bois peld, bois ferblanc (Haiti).
sists of 3-celle ovary covered by the broad disk, BOTANICAL BYNON~B. - Cot~tbrina colubrina
a style, and 3 stipas.
(Jacq.) Millsp., 0. ferruginosa Brongn.