Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

MALLOW FAMILY (MALVACEAE)
152. Emajagiiilla, otaheita, portiatree Thespesia populnea (L.) Soland."
This tree or shrub of coastal woods, also planted
for ornament and shade, is characterized by,: (1)
large bell-shaped flowers 2 inches long and road,
\\*it11 5 overlapping petals, ale yellow but turning
to purple, single at leaf ases; (2) dark gray,
rounded but flattened, slightly 5-ridged, hard, dry
fruits about 11/4 inches or more in diameter and
% inch high; (3) long-petioled,. long-pointed,
deeply heart-shaped, dark green sh~ny leaves with
blades 4-8 inches long and 2%-5 inches broad,
wit11 usually 7 main reins from base; and (4)
tough fibrous bark.
An evergreen tree to 30 feet in height and 8
inches in trunk diameter with dense crown, the
long spreading lower bmnches of crowded plants
forming dense thickets. The bark is gray and
slightly fissured, becoming thick and rough. Inner
bark is yellomish and fibrous. The stout twigs are
peen and covered with very smpll brown scales
\\.hen young, becoming gray. P~tioles, leaf blades,
flower stalks, calyx, and fruits have scattered
minute inconspicuous brown scales also.
The alternate leaves have petioles 2-4 inches
long. Leaf blades are slightly thickened and
leathery, lighter beneath, not toothed on edges.
Flowers lateral on a tvig, opening 1 at a time,
on stout stalks shorter than petioles, Y2-2 inches
long. The cup-shaped peen calyx i~ about 3/s
inch high and y2 inch across, remaining at bm
of fruit, with 3-5 narrow green scales (bracts) 1,
inch or more in length on outside, fallin from the
bud. The broad, rounded, oblique petit s 2 inches
or mare in le?@ll are pale yel!ow, purplish at
base and turnlng to purple, with mlnute starshz~ped
hairs on outside. Stamens many, on a
column 1 inch long joined to petals at base. Tho
pistil has a 5-celled ovary with slender style and
fi broader stigmas.
The fruits, which remain attached for some time
but do not split open, contain several brown hairy
seeds about s! inch long and 1/4 inch broad. Flowering
and fruiting from spring to fall.
The sapwood is light brown, and the lleartwoocl
chocolate brown. The mood is moderately soft,
mediumweight, durable, and takes a fine polish.
\
f
It is classed as resistant to attack from dry-wood
termites. Used in boatbuilding and for fuel and
else~vhere in cabinetwork.
Rope has been made from the tough fibrous
bark. It is reported that the flowers are eaten as
food and that the fruit is employed medicinally
for the treatment of skin eruptions.
Planted as a street tree and ornamental and living
fencepost. However, this tree is a host of the
cotton stainer, a red insect which stains the fibers
of growing cotton, and is eradicated in West
Indian islands where cotton is an important crop.
For this reason, the elimination of this tree from
cotton areas of Puerto Rim has been advocated,
ancl further propagation has been discouraged.
Coastal woods and thickets along seashores and
borders of mangrove in Puerto Rim. Also in
Mona, Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St.
John.
Rawa~.-7l~idelg distributed on tropical shores,
believed to be native in the Old World tropics and
planted and naturalized elsewhere. Southern
Florida including Florida Keys (planted also in
California), Bermu.da, and throu hout West
Indies from Bahamas and Cuba to P rinidad and
Tobago. Also occasionally cultivated in continental
tropical America from southern Mexico (Yucatiin)
and British Honduras to Brazil and Chile.
OTIIER COJIXON ~~31~s.-majagiiilla, frescura,
jnquecn, palo de jaqueca, clamor, santa maria
(Puerto Rico) ; haiti-haiti (Virgin Islands) ;
hlamo, dlamo blanco (Dominican Re ubhc) ;
majngun de Florida (Cuba) ; freseura r~icaragun)
; clemcin, algod6n de monte (Colombia) ;
cremdn (Venezuela) ; macoi (Chile) ; portiatree,
seaside mahoe (United State) ; seas~de mahoe
(English) ; cork-tree, Spanish-cork (Bahamas) ;
John-Bull-tree (Jamaica, Bequia) ; mahot bordcle-iner
(St. Lucia) ; tuliptree, mahault de Londres
(Trinidad) ; Spanish-cork, cork-tree (British
Honduras) ; beach maho, maho (British Guiana) ;
gr6s mahaut (Haiti) ; catalpa (Gundeloupe) ;
otaheita, palu santu (Dutch West Indies) ; boschkatoen
(Surinam).