Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

177. Majagua brava
MEZEREON FAMILY (THYMELAEACEAE)
r
This small Puerto Rican tree mith tough, fibrous
bark is characterized b : (1) twigs forking into
2 or sometimes 3 equal orks, reddish brown when
oung and turning brown; (2) elliptic to obovate,
ieathery and slightly fleshy leaves short- or longpointed
at both ends, clustered together at ends of
twigs and at nodes; (3) small fragrant white
flowers, several at nodes in stalkless clusters
(heads) wibh hairy scales; and (4) elliptic white
fleshy fruits "/8-1/2 inch Ion l-seeded.
An evergreen tree or shru t' 10-20 feet high and
2-4 inches in trunk diameter. The bark is ray,
smooth or slightly fissured, and thin. Inner ps ark
is whitish, almost tasteless.
The leaves appear as if opposite or in clusters
of 3 or 4 (whorled). They have petioles l/s-S/s
inch long and blades 2x4 inches long and 1-2%
inches broad, common1 widest beyond middle,
and pale green beneath. i
edges not toothed, slight y shiny on upper surface,
Flowers are male and female on different plants
(dioecious). Msle flowers have a white hairy
calyx with narrow tube more than inch long
with 4 lobes less than l/s inch long, 8 stamens in 2
sets of 4 each near mouth of tube, and rudimentary
pistil. Female flowers are smaller, with a cal x
about half as long as in male flowers, with tu i e
and 4 lobes, and p~stil mith ovary and short style.
Daphnopsis philippiana Krug & Urban
The fleshy fruits are borne several together or
only 1 at a node on very short stalks, green when
immature but becoming white. The single brown
seed is about l/q inch long. Flowering and fruitin
nearly through the year.
%he wood is whitish or yellowish, soft, and
little used because of the small'size of the tree.
The bark has in the past been used for rope.
Known only from the upper Luquillo and Cordillera
forests of PuertoRico.
PUBLIC FORE~TS.--Carite, Luquillo, Toro Nep. RANGE.-Restricted to mountains of Puerto
Rico.
OTHER COMMON ~~~~~s.--emajagua de sierra,
majagua quemadora, emajagua bravn (Puerto
Rico) .
This genus and family are represented by 2
other tree species. Majagua de sierra or mahout
(Daphnopsis arnsrieana (Mill.) J. R. Johnston ;
synonyms D. americnna subsp. caribaea (Griseb.)
Nevl., D. caribaea Griseb.), of forests in Puerto
Rico, Vieques, and the Virgin Islands and beyond,
has slightly smaller flowers in small branched
clusters at ends of twigs, and fruits only l/q inch
long. The other (D. helleriana Urban), known
only from 1 collection near BayamBn, has oblong
leaves rounded at apex and hairy beneath.