Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

MANGOSTEEN FAMILY (GUTTIFERAE)
165. Palo de cruz Rheedia portoricensis Urban
Palo de cruz is easily identified by its opposite,
elliptic or obovate, shin dark green leaves which
are small, thick and stik with sunken midrib, and
curved downward from the long-pointed base to
the long-pointed sharp spine 4/8+ inch long.
Other distinguishing characteristics are : (1) regular
opposite branching of twigs at right angles
from the axis; (2) ale yellow latex in inner bark,
, leaves, and ! ruits; (3) all, pale yellow,
twir
pin ish-tinged flowers about inch across, sev-
eral or 1 at leaf bases; and (4) bright yellow ellip
tic berry 1-1% inches long.
Commonly a small tree to 20 feet high (formerly
to 65 feet, according to earlier reports) and 4
inches in trunk diameter, evergm, with narrow
crown of drooping or horizontal branches and
dark pen foliage. The bark is brown and smooth
or slightly fissured. Inner bark is reddish, bitter,
with pale yellow latex in innermost part. The
twigs are p n and slightly angled when young,
becoming gray a.nd enlarged at nodes.
The leaves have short erect petioles %-l/z inch
long and blades 14/2-3% inches long and x-2
inches broad. Margins are turned under slightly,
and the lower surface is light fireen.
Lateral flowers on stalks about %+ inch long
are bisexual and male and female on the same or
different trees (polygamous or dioecious) . There
* sta-
are 2 yellow-green sepals l/lR inch lon
yellow petals pinkish at base, 4/8-j/4 inch f; ong;
mens about 7-10 (about 18 stamens around a broad
whitish disk in male flowers) ; and pistil with
rounded pinkish 2-cellhi ovary less than 4/s inch
long and 2-lobed flat stigma (sometimes ovary is
3-celled and stigma 3-lobed) . The fleshy fruits are
pointed and contain usually 2 large seeds. Flowering
and fruiting at different times during the
year.
The sa wood is very light brown, and the heartwood
lig R t brown. The wood is very hard, heavy
(specific gravity 0.9), and very fine-textured. Be
cause of the small size of this tree its wood is used
only for posts.
Forests of the lower Luquillo Mountain region
nnd thickets of the moist and dry coastal regions.
Also in Vieques. A handsome small tree of possible
ornamental value.
Pwtrc FORESTS.--Carite, Luquillo, SusGa.
RANGE.-&OW~ only from Puerto Rico and
Vieques.
&HER COBIBION NAB~E.-gllayaba~~~. (Pu&o
Rico) .
I~OTANICAL SYNONYB~. - Rheedia acurninata
(Spreng.) Planch. & Tr., not R. mminata (Ruiz
& Pav.) Planch. & Tr.
The common name palo de cruz (tree of cross)
refers to the branching of twigs at right angles to
the straight axis in the shape of a cross.
A second native species (Rheedh hessii Britton)
known only from near Maricao apparently is rare.
It has narrowly ltmce-shaped leaves less than 1
inch long.