Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

COMBRETUM FAMILY (COMBRETACEAE)
181. Ucar, gregre, oxhorn bucida
A widel spreading timber and shade tree identified
by : 5) a broad symmetrical cmwn of nearly
horizontal branches which generally droo
the ends; (2) paired gray spines j/4-3/q inc t near long
on the twigs of some trees; (3) elli tic leaves 13
inches long and %-2 inches bm$ clustered at
ends of short erect twigs; (4) small, greenishwhite
or light brown flowers stalkless in lateral
clusters 1-4 inches long; and (5) brownish, somewhat
conical fruits about j/q inch long with spreadcalyx
remaining at apex, but some fruits
de ormed as hornlike galls 2-3 inches long and
more than % inch in diameter.
Evergreen or deciduous medium-sized to lare
tree 30-60 feet high and to 3 feet in trunk diameter.
The bark is brown, fissured and sli htly
rough or becoming thickened and scaly. kner
bark brown and slightly bitter. The gray twigs,
finely hairy when youn are widely forkin
sisting of slender lea f' ess portions and s T orter Constout,
spurlike areas bearing leaves or masses of
leaf scars.
The leaves are alternate on slightly hairy petioles
inch lon Blades are rounded? shortointed,
or notc P ed at apex and short-pointed at
Ease, often widest be ond middle, the edges not
toothed, slightly thic Z ened, hairless or near1
at maturity, green on upper surface and ye 7' low
green beneath.
Flower clusters (spikes) are among the leaves,
unbranched, and bear along the fine1
green axis or at the end man stal
which are )la-% inch long an8 %-I,$ inch broad
across the stamens. The base (hypanthium) is less
than 1/8 inch long, gray green or light brownish,
finely hairy; the bowl-shaped, greenish-white
calyx is x6 inch long and s/1= inch across, 5-
toothed, and finely hairy; there are 10 widely
spreadin stamens l/sJ4 Inch low; and the pistil
with in f erior 1-celled ovary an8 slender hairy
style s/16 inch long.
The fruits (dru es) are irregularly 5-angled,
slightly fleshy or AY, narrowed helow the calyx,
minute1 hairy, 1-seeded. Odd, hornlike galls
caused i y mites commonly develop from some
fruits and become many times longer than normal
size. Flowering and fruiting irregularly through
the year.
The sapwood is yellowish or light brown, and the
attractive heartwood dark greenish brown with
longitudinal stripes resulting from roey pin.
The mood is very hard, ve heavy (s ecific gravity
0.93), very strong, toug, and mo cf erately fine-
Bucida buceras L.
textured. Rate of air-seasoning and amount of degrade
are moderate. Machining characteristics
are as follows: planing is fair; sha ing and sa~ding
are good; turning, boring, an a mortising are
excellent ; but resistance to screw s litting is very
poor. One of the heaviest avai able woods of
Puerto Rico, it is difficult to work because of the
high density and hardness. It is durable in contact
with the ground, resistant to attack by drywood
termites, and takes a fine polish.
This valuable timber is used locally in carts,
gates, fences, and rural construction. It is suitable
also for heavy-duty flooring, workbenches, machinery
Intforms, and heavy exterior construction.
& elsa~here include marine piling in
ilonteredo areas, crossties, house posts, bridge
timbers, and charcoal.
Formerly the bark was em loyed in tanning.
Also planted as a shade an8 ornamental tree,
es ecially in coastal and dry regions. Common in
cu y tivation as a street tree in southern Florida.
In forests of the moist and dry limestone regions
and forests along coasts and streams near the r+a
in Pueito Rico. Also in Mona, Vieques, St. Croix,
St. Thomas, and St. John.
PUBLIC FORESTS.-Aguirre, Bo uerbn, Cambalache,
Guajataca, Guknica, Rio A 1 ajo, San Juan,
Susiia.
~ONI~ALITIES
WHERB EGPECIALLY COMMON.-
12 21, 24, 26 28, 36, 38, #, 54, 55, 66, 75.
kah-m.-dPper Florida Keys, Bahamns, Cuba,
Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Virgin
Islands, and Leeward Islands to Guadeloupe in
1-r Antilles. Also from southern Mexico to
Panama and northern South America alon the
coasts of Colombia, Venezuela (including %a-
garita) , and Guianas.
OTHER COMMON ~~M~s.-guaraguao, gri-gri
(Dominican Republic) ; jiicaro, jticaro negro,
jucarillo (Cuba) ; puct6 (Mexico) ; bticida (Co-
lombia) ; oxhorn bucida, black-olive (United
States) ; black-olive (Bahamas, Jamaica) ; olive-
bark-tree (Jamaica) ; bullet-tree, bullywood,
bully-tree (British Honduras) ; bois gri-gri, gris-
gris des montapes, @Q-gut5 (Haiti) ; bois gli-gli,
bois gris-gris (Guadeloupe) ; grignon (French
Guinna) .
B~ANICAL SYNONY~~S.-~ZIC~T~P b~ida Crantz,
Teminalia bucerag C. Wright.
The scientific name and English common name
oxhorn bucida are descriptive of the elongated
fruit galls.
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