Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Introduced for ornament and shade in southern
Florida, and in parts of the We& Indies planted as
shade for coffee and cacao and for n-indbreaks.
In Grenada the trees are windbreaks for nutmeg
plantations.
Probably native only in the moist coastal and
moist limestone forest regions of Puerto Rico.
Now distributed as well throughout the lower
Cordillera and lower Luquillo regions with a few
txees on the dry coast. Also in Vieques, St. Croix,
and St. Thomas.
PWLIG FOREGTS.-N~~~V~ in Cambalache, Guaja-
taca, Rio Abajo, and Vega. Introduced into
Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, Afaricno, Susiia, and
Toro Nep.
X~USIOIPALITIES WIIEN: FSPECWLLY WMXON.-
17,34,62,74.
RASGE.-This species with its geo,~phic varie-
ties also known as species is w~dely distributed
through the West Indies and from Mexico to Peru,
Bolivia, Brazil, and Guianas. The variet in
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Calophy turn
bre~iliense var. antildanum (Britton) Standl., also
classed as a species by some authors, ranges from
Cuba and Jamaica through the Lesser Antilles to
f
Grenada, is naturalized in Bermuda, and is introduced
in southern Florida.
OTIIEI~ COXJLON XAMES.- 1110 de maria, santa
maria, aceit8 de maria ( 3 uerto Rico); falsemnmey
(Virgin Islands) ; santa maria, maria
(Spanish) ; baria, mara, a10 maria (Dominican
Republic) ; ocuje, ocuje ca 7 omdo (Cuba) ; barillo,
mario, varh (El Salvador) ; coj6n, c~cl~icamo
Venezuela) ; jacare-dba, agarto-casp~ blanco
(Perul ; santa-maria, Brazil beauty-leaf (Vniteil
States ; santa-maria (English, commerce) ; wildmnmee
(Jamaica) ; came-marie, damage, dalemarie
(Haiti) ; galba (Guadelou e, Dominica, Martinique,
St. Vincent); gn T ba odorant, calaba
Guadeloupe) ; koelarie, mani kxvaha, koernhara
Surinam) ; guanandi, olandi, landi (Bmzil).
Botanical synonyms of Cdop hy llum brasiliense
var. anti22anum (Britton) Stand1.-CaZoyhyZZum
cdaba Jacq., not L., 0. antillanurn Rritton, 0.
jacpuinii Fawc. & Rendle.
'l he common name maria is said to be of Carib
Indian origin rather than Spanish. A closely related
species (Cdoph Zlum Zucidzcrn Benth.) or
variety known as gal g a occurs in Trinidad and
Tobago, Venezuela, and British Guiana.
MANGOSTEEN FAMILY (GUTTIFERAE)
162 Cupeillo Clusia krugiana Urban
This tree with orange or yellow latex is common
in upper mountain forests of Puerto Rico. It is
characterized by: (1) op osite, very thick, stiff
and leathery, obovate dnr E green leaves, broadest
near the rounded apex, jpxdunlly narrowed toward
an almost stalkless bnse, and with edges considerably
rolled under; (2) terminal brnnched clusters
of several to many sprending yellow flowers about
1/2 inch across, male and female on different trees
(dioecious) ; and (3) round green fleshy seed capsules
5/8-3/p inch in diameter, splitting open and
becoming 5-parted and star-shaped, exposing the
orange pulp in which the light brown seeds are
imbedded.
A small to medium-sized ever reen tree to 40
feet high and 6-12 inches in trun diameter, with
a s reading crown of thick brnnches, sometimes
wit 1 a few prop roots. The gray bark is smoothish,
often covered with mossesZ and within is pinkish
and slightly bitter, containing orange or yellow
latex. Twigs are stout and brownish, ringed
at nodes
The stout broad petioles are only about % inch
long. Blades are 2-5 inches long, 14/24 inches
broad, with the veins inconspicuous or scarcely
visible on both sides, dark en and often slightly
Y-
shiny above, and pale ye1 ow peen beneath.
The flower clusters (cymose) are 1%-2% inches
long, the fleshy branches paired, and flower stalks
%-94 inch long. There are 4 sepals about s/16 inch
R.
long and 4 oblong yellow etals more than inch
in length. Male flowers \ ave many stamens 3/le
inch long. Female flowers have pistil inch long
wit11 5-celled ovary and 5 blackish stigmas on top.
The round green hit retains the calyx at base
and 5 stigmas at apex and when split o en is 1%
inches wross the 5 lobes. Several lig \ t brown
seeds l/g inch long are imbedded in orange pulp.
Flowerin and fruiting probably through the year.
The lig Ch t brown wood is hard and heavy (s e-
cific gravity 0.9). As the trunk is ssldom straig t,
tlie wood is used mostly for fuel.
1
Common in the dwarf forests on mountain summits
in the upper Luquillo and Cordillera forest
re ions in Puerto Rico.
%UULIG FORESTS.-Csrite, Luquillo, Maricao,
Tor0 Negro.
RANQE.-PuC!~~O Rico and Hispaniola (Dominican
Republic).
Cupey trepador (Clusin minor L.), a related
shrub, small tree, or vine, hns fleshy leaves with
petioles 3/g--3/4 inch long, and clusters of few
flowers with white to pink petals.
Cupeillo de altum (Ctwia gundlachii Stahl),
or cu ey de altura, a vinelike shrnb or sometimes
tree t: non-n only from Puerto Rim, has fleshy.
let~ves with petioles %-% inch long, clusters of
many small flowers, and oblong fruits about %
. The fourth native species of this genus
il'ch is descri lo"& ed below.