Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

CANELLA FAMILY (CANELLACEAE)
168. Barbasco, canella Canella winterana (L.) Gaertn.
This small tree characteristic of dry areas is small size of the trees. Uses elsewhere have been
identified by: (1) a dense crown of obovate or for plows, oles, and beams.
spoon-shaped, leathery shiny green leaves
Canella g ark, the wild cinnamon bark of cominches
long and S/s-1% inches broad, rounded at merce, has served in medicine thou h rarely at
apex and gradually narrowed toward base, aro- present as an aromatic stimtllant an d slight tonic
matic and with e pery stin ing taste; (2) small and also as a condiment. The leaves have been
dark red purp~s~-tinged rk owers inch lon employed similarly and as a fish poison. The berand
broad, several to many in terminal flat-to pe 8 ries are reported to be hot like black epper when
clusters shorter than the leaves; (3) rouncf red gathered green and dried. Also a oney lant,
(or purplish-black) berries about s/8 inch in diam- the flowers being ve rich in nectar. Thoug this
eter; and (4) aromatic, gray, smoot.hish, slightly a i
usually is not regar ed as a poisonous plant, the
warty bark with burning or stinging taste. leaves and stems were toxic to poultry in feeding
An evergreen tree to 20 feet high and 6-8 inches trials in St. Croix.
in trunk diameter, or shrubby. The thin bark Planted around houses in the Virgin Islands.
sometimes is fissured. Inner bark is whitish. The In southern Florida this is a hardy ornamental
twigs are green at apex, becoming gray, with spicy shrub porn for the numerous bright red berries
taste.
borne in spring.
The alternate leaves are crowded near ends of Thickets in the dry coastal and limestone retwigs,
with petioles Y8-1/4 inch long. Leaf blades gions of Puerto Rico and also at Cabezas de San
are broadest beyond middle, with edges slightly Juan at the northeastern corner of the island.
turned under, thickened, wibh few indistinct veins,
minutely gland dotted, and
X
Also on Mona, Icacos, Vieques, St. Croix, St.
Jer beneath. Thomas, St. John, and Anegada.
Flower clusters (corymbs are branched, about PUBLIC FORESTS.-GU~~~~~, Maricao, Susfia.
1 inch long and broad, wit fragrant spreading RANGE.-Southern Florida including Florida
flowers on stalks about % inch long. There are 3 Keys, Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and
broad, rounded, blue-green sepals less than 1/8 inch Virgin Islands, and Lesser Antilles from St. firlon
5 elliptic rounded fleshy petals 3/ inch long, tin and Barbuda to St. Lucia and Barbados.
dar e; red but purplish on outside; about 20 red OTHER COMMON ~~~ms.-canela (Puerto Rico) ;
stamens united by filaments and anthers into a wild cinnamon, caneel, pepper cinnamon, cillitube
more than 1/8 inch long; and pistil s/le inch ment-bush (Virgin Islands) ; canela de la tierra,
long consistin of light een 1-celled ovary with cailelilla (Dominican Republic) ; cbrbana, picashort
style an 5 very slig f tly 2-lobed stigma, protruding
through stamen tube. Berries are fleshy,
pica, malambo, canela blanca (Cuba) ; canella, cinwith
a few black seeds 3/f6 inch long. Flowering
namon canella (United States) ; canella, wild cinand
fruiting probably irregularly through the namon, 'whitewood bark (English) ; cinnamonyear.
bark (Bahamas) ; canelle poivr6e (Haiti) ; canel-
The sapwood is olive brown, and the heartwood lier blanc, canellier biitard, bois canelle (Guadsblackish.
The wood is very hard and very heavy loupe) .
(specific gravity . In Puerto Rico it is BOTANICAL s~~~~nxs.-CaneZZa d6a Murr.,
seldom utilized posts because of the Winterana cnmZEa L.