Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

MYRTLE FAMIL Y (MYRTACEAE)
194 Malagueta, bay-rum-tree Pimenta racemosa (Mill.) J. W. Moore
The bay-rum-tree or malagueta,. including the
variety ausii, is native and also cultivated both for
the essential oil in its leaves and twigs and for
ornament and shade. It is easily recognized by
the stron pun nt odor of the leaves when
crushed. &her &tinguishing characteristics are :
(1) erect form w~th a dense columnar dark green
crown; (2) smooth gray to light brown bark peeling
off in thin strips exposing lighter gray shades
beneath; (3) opposite, elliptic or obovate, mostly
small, stiff and leathery leaves rounded at both
ends or the apex notched or sometimes shortpointed,
with minute land dots, shiny dark green
on upper surface and %e neath paler or finely gray
hairy, with midrib sunken and edges rolled under;
(4) white flowers 3/g inch or more across the 5
petals, several to many in lateral and terminal
branched clusters; and (5) the rounded or elliptic
fleshy black (or finely . gray hairy) fruits
-- -
inch-in diameter.
This is a variable species with races differing in
shape, size, color and hairiness of leaves, sliape
and hairiness of Iruit, and in amount and quality
of oil. One variety called ausi ( Phta racenwsa
var. grisea (Kiaersk.) Fosberg) is characterized
by fine1 gray or white hairy coats on
under surfm of f eaves? young twigs, branches of
flower clustsrs, and frults.
A small to medium-sized everpen tree to 40
feet high and 8 inches or more in trunk diameter,
the trunk often slightly angled and ~ooved, or
sometimes shrubby. Inner bark is pinkish and
slightly bitter and astrin ent. The twigs are
reen or dark green, with g 7 and dots, hairless (or
!&ely gray hairy), and angled when young becoming
brown.
The leaves have short, green, reddish-tin d
tioles Y8-S/s inch long and blades 1x4 inc Y les
Eng and 14% inches broad or larger (recorded to
6 inches long), hairless to finely gray hai~y
beneath.
The flower clusters (cymes) are 1-3 inches long
and broad, gland-dotted, and bear fragrant glanddotted
flowers on short stalks. There is a light
reen tubular base (hypanthium) less than l/s inch
Lng and broad, extending beyond ovary ; 5 broad,
spreading sepals less than I/lo inch long; 5 white
rounded petals more than Yg inch long and widely
spreading; numerous white stamens 3i6 inch long;
and istil com osed of inferior &-celled ovary and
slenler, slight I' y bent, white style 3io inch. long.
The berrylike fruits have sepals attached at apex
and contain a few brown seeds more than l/s inch
long. Flowering mainly in spring and summer
(April to August) and maturing fruit in late summer
and fall (August to October).
The sapwood is light brown, and the heartwood
brownis11 red or blackish and mottled. The mood
is very hard, very heavy (specific gravity 0.8),
strong, tough, durable, and resistant to attack by
dry-wood termites. Employed for posts and in
carpentry, it is said to split readily and to be excellent
for fuel.
The main product is myrcia oil (bay oil) obtained
by distillation of the leaves and twigs and
which is the important ingredient in bay rum, used
in cosmetics and medicines. A yield of more than
1 pound of bay oil has been extracted from 100
pounds of leaves. Bay rum was originally prepared
by distilling the leaves in rum. Compound
myrcia spirit (bay rum) is composed of bay oil,
orange 011, pimenta oil, alcohol, and water.
Confined chiefly to the dry slopes of the lower
Cordillera region of southwestern Puerto Rico,
but commercial plantations ow near Adjuntas,
Patillas, and Guayama. A%O in Vieques, St.
John, St. Thomas, and Tortola. Re orted long
ago from St. Cmix and now plante8 there. In
St. John large forests of this species under management,
have produced oil of superior ualit~
Pmn~c mnesrs.-Carib, Gunlatam, %uqulllo,
Maricao, Susiia.
R~~~~.-Tllrough West Indies from Cuba and
Jamaica to Grenada and Tobago. Also in Venezuela
and Guianas. Planted in southern Florida,
Bermuda, Bahamas, and Trinidad, and in East
Indies.
OTH~ COJI~ON NAMES.-ausii, limoncillo
(Puerto Rico) ; wild cilliment, wild cinnamon,
cinnamon (Virgin Islands) ; malagueta, ozfia,
Dominican Republic) ; pimienta de
Tabasco c8ne1i110 ( b uba) ; bay-rum-tree, West Indian bayberry
(English) ; bayberry-tree, wild cinnamon,
wild olive (Jamaica) ; cinnamon (Montserrat,
Grenadines) ; bayleaf (Barbuda, Tobago) ; bois
d'Inde Fran~ais (Haiti) ; bois d71nde (Guadeloupe,
Martinique, St. Lucia); bay boom
(Surinam).
BOTANICAL s~~ohm~s.-AnwmiS cary~phyzhta
(Jacq.) Krug & Urban, Pimenta a d (Sw.)
ICostel.
BOTANICAL VARIETY.-ausii Pimenta racemosa
var. grisea (Kiaersk.) ~osberg (synonyms P.
acris var. grisea Kiaersk., Am& caryophyzhta
var. grhecr. (Kiaersk.) Krug & Urban, A. grisea
(Kiaersk.) Britton) .
The generic name Pinwntcl is taken from the
Spanish name for allspice, pimienta (Pimenta
dioica (L.) Merr.* ; s nonyms P. officindis Lindl.,
P. pimenta (L.) Coc % .). This related species of
Cuba, Jamaica, and continental tropical America
is sometimes planted in Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands. It has elliptic or oblong leaves 3-6
inches long and many small white flowers about
3i6 inch across, with 4 petals. The dried green
berries l/li inch or less in diameter, with a flavor ressmhling
n mist,ure of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg
(or all spices), are used as a condiment.