Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

CoMBRETUM FAMILY (COMBRETACEAE)
Key to the 6 species illustrated (Nos. 180-la)
A. Leaves mostly clustered at ends of twigs; petiole without glands, blade broadest beyond middle; upland trees.
B. Leaves less than 3 inches long, green or yellow green.
C. Tmigx spineless; fruit an elliptic pointed drupe about % inch long-180. Buchenavfa capftata.
CC. Tmip often with paired spines; fruits about inch long, with calyx at apex, some deformed as slender
hornlike galls 23 inches long-181. Bucida buceras.
BB. Leaves 6-11 inches long, turning reddish before falling-184. TermfnaNa catappa.*
U. Leaves evenly spaced along twigs ; petiole with 2 glands near the elliptic blade; trees of mangrove SWfimp forests.
D. Leaves alternate, long-pointed at both ends-482. Conocarpus ercctztu.
DD. Leaves opposite, rounded at both ends--183. Laguncularia racemosa.
180. Granadillo
This large, spreading timber tree is characterized
by: (1) a striking thin crown composed of a
few main, widely spreading nearly horizontal
branches; (2) erect clusters of small reverse lanceshaped
(oblanceolate) or spoon-shaped (spatulate)
yellow-green leaves crowded at ends of short
erect twigs from horizontal branches; (3) many
small greenish flowers about ys inch qcross at the
end of a lateral stalk, altogether 1-1v2 ~nches long;
and (3) elliptic greenish fruits 3/4-7/g inch long
and 1/2 inch in diameter, pointed at both ends and
slightly 4- or 5-angled, single or paired.
A tree growing to 60-80 feet tall and 2-4 feet in
trunk diameter, with straight trunk becoming buttressed
at base. Deciduous but with the new yellowish
foliage appearing soon after leaf fall in
most areas. The light brown bark is smoothish,
with many small fissures. The inner bark is yellowish
and bitter. The brown to gray twigs, finely
rusty-brown hairy when young, have slepder leafless
areas and shorter stout spurs bearing leaves
or leaf scars close together.
The leaves are alternate, though clustered. Petioles
are +% inch long. Leaf blades are 1v2-3
inches long, 1/2-1% inches broad, rounded at apex
and long-pointed at base, broadest beyond middle,
the edges flat or rolled under, becoming thickened
and leathery, hairless or nearly so when mature,
shiny yellow green on upper surface and paler
beneath.
Flower clusters (spikes or heads) 1/2-9/4 inch
long on hairy stalks 1/2-1 inch long are inconspi~uous
among the new leaves. The crowded, halry
flowers are both bisexual and male (polygamous).
The calyx is broadly cup-shaped, 5-toothed, %6
inch long? soon falling, and there are 10 stamens;
and the plstil has an inferior hairy, 1-celled ovary.
Fruits (drupes) borne on a stalk about 1 inch
long resemble an olive, are slightly fleshy and bitter,
and contain 1 large stone. Flowering mainly
in winter and spring and maturing fruits through
the year.
The light gello~v to golden-brown heartwood is
not clearly separated from the pale yellow sapwood.
The attractive, good quality wood is moderately
hard, moderately heavy (specific pvity
0.61), and strong. It has high luster, roey or
Buchenavia capitata (Vahl) Eichl.
straight grain, medium testure, and growth rings
marked by n:wrow bands of darker pores. The
lumber air-seasons rapidly with only a very small
amount of degrade. It finishes well and takes a
high satiny polish. Machining characteristics are
as follows : planing, shaping, turning, boring, mortising,
sanding, and resistance to screw splitting
are good. The heartwood, sometimm found among
the timbers of old buildings, is resistant to attack
by dry-mood t.emites and is fairly durable in the
ground, but the sapwood is perishable.
Though not widely used, the mood is highly recommended
for furniture and cabinetwork. It is
suited also for construction, framing, flooring, plywood,
decorative veneer, interior trim, boatbuildinp.
boxes and crates, and turnery.
Planted as a shade tree in soutllern Florida,
where it is reported to be hardv and suitable for
dry soils and exposed sites. Classed also as an
ornamental in Puerto Rico. Requires ample light
for good growth. The bark is high in tannin.
A rominent tree of the forest canopy chiefly in
P
the ower mountain and moist limestone re-
gions, descending in some places to the moist coast
of Puerto Rico. Also in Tortola.
Punr,rc FORE^^.-Carite Gua'ataca, Guilarte,
Luquillo, BIaricao, Susiia, ?or0 hegm.
~~UNICIPAIAITIES WnERl ESPECIALLY COM3fON.-
4, 10, 11,20, 22, 29, 35,42,43,46,47,50,53, 58, 61,
68.70.73.
k~&ai:--Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto
Rico and Tortola, Lesser Antilles, and Trinidad
and Tobago. Also in Panama and South America
from Venezuela to French Guiana, Brazil, and
Bolivia.
OTHER COJLMON NAJ~EB.-gri-gri, ciruelillo,
gunraguao (Dominican Republic) ; j6caro amarillo,
jacaro mastelero, jocuma, jucarillo (Cuba) ;
amarillo boj, amarillo, chicharro (Venezuela) ;
yellow olivier (Trinidad) ; yellow sanders (Tobago)
; wild olive (Jamaica.) ; bois margot, bois
gris-gris (Haiti) ; bois gli-gli, bois gri-gri, bois
olivier (Guadeloupe) ; olivier ,mnd bois, angouchi
des sables (French Guiana) ; matakki,
gemberhout, katoelima, toekoeii (Surinam).
BOTANICAL BYNONYY.-BUC~~~ capitata Vahl.