Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

MANGOSTEEN FAMILY (GUTTIFERAE)
163. Cupey, wild-mammee, copey clusia CZusia rosea Jacq.
A tree with yellow resinous latex easily recog- chine and is very susceptible to attack by dry-wood
nized by : (1) very broad spreading dense crown ; termites. The rate of air-seasoning and amount
(2) opposite, very thick stiff and leathery, obovate of degrade are moderate. Machining characterleaves,
rounded or slightly notched at apex and istics are as follows: planing and bomg are fair;
raduall narrowed toward the short-pointed and shaping, turning, mortising, sanding, and ref
ase; (3 3 showy, large, s rending, white flowers sistance to screw splittinq are good.
about 3 inches across t 1 e 6-8 obovate petals The wood is used mainly for fuel, fenceposts,
notched at apex, male and female on different trees rural construction, and crossties. It is suitable also
(dioecious) ; and (4) nearly round fleshy seed cap- for light and heavy construction, cheap furniture,
sules 2234 inches in diametar, yellow pen turn- farm Implement parts, and tool handles.
ing hrown, splitting into 7-9 parts and containing The yellow resinous latex of bark, fruit, and
many ellow seeds ~n orange-red pulp.
other parts of the tree hardens u on exposure and
~ec6um-sized evergreen tree to 60 feet high and has been used variously, inclu ti i calking the
2 feet in trunk diameter, usually with prop roots seams of boats in the Virgin 1slaX as plaster,
at base. Like ja "eyes or mata alos (Fz? spp.) , and in medicine.
the t.rees often P egm as air p f ants or epiphytes, It is chronicled by Oviedo that the early S anish
the seed germinating in the fork of a tree and send- con uistadores in the West Indies made p aying
ing long nerial roots to the ground. In time these %
P
car s of the thick leaves, drawing the figures and
rapidly growing roots come together and encircle s ots with a pin and shuffling these substitutes in
the host tree, finally forming a trunk around it t R eir gambling games in the absence of regular
and strnnglinp and killing it.. The gay bark is cards. Another early use was for writing paper.
smoothish, slightly fissured and warty. Inner By strangling and killing more valuable trees,
bark is pink brown and gritty, with yellow latex. this species may be classed as a forest pest. How-
The pen twigs are stout and ringed at nodes. ever, the leathery leaves and large flowers make it
Petioles are l/z-1 inch long, een, stout, flat- an attrnctive ornamental. As the heavy foliage
tened, and enlarged at base. Bla !Y es are 3-6 inches is salt tolerant, this tree is suitable for ornamental
long and 24% inches wide, broadest beyond plantings on exposed ocean front roperties.
middle, t.he edges slightly tuned under, fleshy and Common in forests on river ban 1 s and hillsides
with lateral veins scarcely visible, een to dark throughout Puerto Rico except in the upper moungreen
and slightly shiny above angdull yellow tain regions. Also in Mona, Desecheo, Vieques,
green benath.
Culebra, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola, and
Flowers are terminal, 1-3 at end of twig on recorded long ago from St. Croix.
stalks f/z inch or more in length and curved down- PWLIC VREBTS.-Cambalache, Carite, Guajaward.
The buds are white, tinged with pink, about tnca, Guhica, Luquillo, Maricao, Susiia, Vega.
5/g inch in diameter. There are 4-6 rounded con- MUNICIPAISTIES WHERE EBPECI~Y COMMON.cave
sepals v2-5/8 inch long, white and tin ed with 11,14,20,30,31,34,45,60,62,69.
pink, and 6-8 white obovate fleshy petals a % out 1% RA~a~.-Nearl throughout West Indies from
inches long. Female flowers have a brown ring or Bahnmas and Cu % a to Trinidad and Tobago and
cup of sterile stamens and a pistil with 7-9-celled Bonaire and Cura~ao. Very rare in Florida Ke s
ovary and green resinous mnss of 7-9 stigmas but lanted in southern Florida. Also from sout E -
inch across. Male flowers have sepals, petals, and ern b; exico (Chiapas) to Colombia, Venezuela, and
many stamens united in a ring, the inner ones in French Guiana.
a resinous mnss.
OTHER COMXON NAMEB.- itch-apple, wild-fig,
The ball-like fruits are not edible and are con- strangler-fig, false-mnmey ( e irgin Islands) ; cusidered
to be isonous, though eaten by bats. y po y (Spanish) ; cape gaque, cucharo (Co-
They are broa !? er than long, changng in color EmbiaK copeyl tnmpaco, ohuch copei (Venezufrom
yellow green to brown at maturity, retaining ela) ; cope clusia, monke -apple (United States) ;
the sepals at base and flat blackish sti ns in a pitch-appg (Bahamas) ; {aham-tree, wild-fi (Jacircle
inch across at apex. The see %' are s/,6 maica) ; monkey-goblet (St. Vincent) ; ~cotc%-atinch
long. In flower or fruit throughout the year. torney, Scotchman, mata a1 (Trinidad) ; parrot-
The heartwood is reddish brown, and the sap- apple (Tobago) ; kufa ( f3 ritish Guiana) ; figuier
wood lighter colored. The wood is hard, heavy maudit cimarron (Haiti) ; figuier maudit, figuier
(specific gravity 0.67), strong, of medium to fine marron, abricotier maudit (Guadelou e) ; aralie,
texture, straight-grruned, and without growth
nde feuille (Martinique) ; am machu,
rings. It is moderately difficult to saw and ma- cuchiii, opijk (Dutch West Indies). B
lralie 5Y