Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

MYRTLE FAMILY (MYRTACEAE)
193. Hoja menuda Mgrcia splendens (Sw.) DC.
This small tree with opposite small leaves bear- hairy sepals, 5 white rounded petals nearly ?,$ inch
in minute gland dots is easily clistinguished fro111 long, hairy on outside; numerous white stamens
ot k lers II~I~II tllo sn~no common name by tlle very nearly inch long; and style more than 1/8 incll
short-stalked leaves shiny green to dark green,
sliglltly thickened, with very long tapering point lonT 1 lo fleshy fruits nre green when immature, turnand
numerous rominent, straight, nearly parallel ing to clnrk blue or blllclrish, trncl have thin flesh
lateral veins. 8 ther cl~nrncters are : (1) numerous :uld 1 lnrge seed. Elsewhere they nre reported to
small white flosvers with 5 rounded etals, about be edible. Flowering :lnd fruiting nearly through
9/g inch across the many spreading w R ite stamens, the yew.
in lateral and terminal clusters most1 1-11/2 The sapwood is li ht brown to reddish bro~l-n
inches long; and (2) elliptic or rounded t lackisll nnd htird. The har d wood is used for posts.
berries 1/4-5i6 inch long, with ring of sepals at Co~nnion in forests and openings in moist areas
apes.
in tho lower mountain regions of Puerto Rico.
An evergreen tree to 30 feet high and 4 inches in Also in St. Crois aid Tortola and reported from
trunk dinmeter or often a shrub. The brown or St. Thomns.
gray bark is rough, fissured, and flaky or divided PUBLIC m~~m.-Luquillo, Carite, Afaricao.
~nto ninny smnv lntes. Inner bark is brown or R.\sGE.--Cuba, d:~ma~cn ( I Hispaniola, Puerdark
red and sl~g f ltly astringent and bitter to the to Rico, St. Croix, Tortola, I2 sser Antilles from
taste. The brown twigs are slender and finely St. Jlnrtin to St. Vincent and Barbados, and
hairy.
Tri~litlad and Tobago. Also Colombia to Peru,
Petioles are '/lo inch or less in length and finely Bolivia, and Brazil.
hairy. The thin blades are 1-3 inches long and OTHER COJIJION SAJIES.-MI~~ menuda (Puerto
lh-1 inch widel rounded or short-pointed at base, Rico) ; birchberry, pr~nchberr (Virgin Islands) ;
with sunken m~drib, edges sli htly turned under, arrnijln, eo~rleenrh, tinajem kubn) ; vioho ear i
benentll paler green and slight f y shiny, hairy tvhen (Peru) ; black-birch (Montserrat) ; bois c&o P e
young but nearly hairless at maturity.
(St. Lucin) ; red rodwood (Barbados) ; wild
Flower clusters (panicles) have slender hairy guava (Trinidad) ; small-leaf (Tobago) ; ibbibirtnches.
The fragrant flower has a hairy tnbulnr 1):unnru (British Guiuna) ; petit merisier (Guadebase
(hypnnthium) inch long and brond, loupe) ; merisier petites feuilles, ti feuilles, bois
nvhicli encloses the inferior 2-celled ovary and crdole (bfttrtinique) ; Surinam-cherry (Dutch
bettrs the otlter pnrts; 5 minute blu~~t-pointed West Indies) ; ~neerilang (Surinam).