Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

BIGNONIA FAMILY (BIGNONLACEAE)
Key to the 7 species illustrated (Nos. 232-238)
A. Leaves crowded in clusters of 3-5 or more along tlie stout twiga, simple, epoon-shaped, 2-7 inches long, broadest
near the rounded or shorbpolnted npex-232. Crcaccntia oufele.
AA. Leaves opposite.
B. Leaves simple or digitate (pnlmntely compound) with 2-C, leaflets.
C. Flowers with dark red corolln.
D. Leaves with 6 or 3 elliptic leaflets-235. Tabebuta i~aeniawtha.
DD. Leaves slmple, elllptic to ovate-237. Tabebuia rfgida.
CC. Flowers with pink corolln ; leaves with Ei or fewer (sometimes only 1) unequal elllptlc leaflets-256.
Tabebuia lreteropl~~lla.
BB. Leaves plnnate or biplnnnte.
E. Lenves once pinnate.
F. Leaflets mostly 11-17, elliptic, not toothed, nbruptly short-pointed-234. Rpathodea campanulata.*
FF. Leaflets 5-13, lnncct-shaped to elliptic, saw-toothed, long-pointed-238. Tecoma scans.
EE. Leaves biplnnnte, fernlike-233. Jacaranda minroeifolia.*
232. Higiiero, calabash-tree, common calabash-tree Crescentia cujete L
This familiar small tree, planted and wild, is seecls are dark brown, thin and flat, about 1/4 inch
etisily recognized by : (1) the few long spreading long cind broad. Flowering and fruiting through
brnnches forming a broad open crown; (2) en- the ear.
Inrged nodes on the stout 11 ht bmwn or gray ~ isapwood e is pinkish to reddish bmwn, and
twigs; (3) the very large, Rard, nearly round tlie henrt,vood is light bmwn. The wood is moder-
(sometimes ovnl), green to brown fruits 4-12 tltely hard, moderately heavy (specific gravity 0.6
inches in diameter, resembling gourds; (4) tlie 0.8), strong, nnd flexible. In Puerto Rico the
spoon-shaped leaves 2-7 inches long and 3/q-2 t.imber is cut only for fuel. However, other uses
inches brond, lurrnn ed in clusters along the stout are for tool handles, ox yokes, saddles, and vehicle
twigs; and (5) the f&l\t green bell-shaped flowers parts.
Z21/2 inches long, borne singly on the trunk and Widely planted in Puerto Rico and through the
branches. tropics for the fruits, from which bowls, cups, jugs,
A tree 2030 feet or mot= in height and 1 foot water containers, and other utensils, as well as
or more in trunk diameter, evergreen or deciduous ol+nnments and musical instruments, are fashioned,
in areas with dry seasons. Bark on-small trunks often with decorations. Also classed ns an orna-
is smoothish or slightly scaly, becoming much fis- mental. Elsewhere blocks of calabash bark and
sured, light brown or grny, and 1/2 inch thick. Tho wood ns well ns the trees have been used for grow-
inner bnrk is light brown, fibrous, and slightly ing orchids. The ulp of fruits is poisonous and
bitter. ]ins been employe c f in local medicines. It is said
The leaves are rrlostly in clusters of 3-5 or more that the seeds are sometimes cooked and eaten.
(fnscicled) on spurs (nctunlly ve short Intern1 Ensily propagnted from seeds or cuttings but
brnnches) for severnl feet dong 7 t le stout twigs slow growing. Through cultivation trees with
but are also alternate near tips of slender twigs. larger fruits than the wild trees have been de-
Spoon-shaped (s atulate) or reverse lnnce-shaped veloped. It is reported that various shapes can be
(oblnnceolate), t y ie leaves are broadest near the obtained by tying and training the
rounded apes (sometimes ttbruptly short-pointed) Hillsides, .pastures, roadsides, an Twmg
around fruits. counand
grndually narrowed to the stalkless or short- try homes In the coastal, limestone, and lower
stalked base, not toothed on ed es, slightly thick- mountain regions of Puerto Rico, more commonly
ened and with prominent midrif, green and slight- in the drier areas. Probably more fre uent as a
ly shiny on upper surface, paler beneath. lnnted tree or an esca e than mild. A 9 so Mona
Flowers and fruits are unusual in being - Aesec~eo, St. Croix,
Y
&. Thomns, St. John, and
duced directly on the trunk ns well as on bmnc les, Tortoln.
borne singly on stout stalks I,+% inch long. The Rdz~cr~.-lVidelg distributed in tropical Amerileathery
green calyx %-I inch long splits deeply ca, native, planted and escaping, propably spread
into lisually 2 brond lobes; the large, light green, somotvhat through cultivntion. Florida Keys,
often urplish-streaked corolln is 2-2% Inches grown tilso in southern Florida and California,
long, sEghtly thickened nnd fleshy, with a brond and introduced in Bermuda. Throughout West
irregular swollen tube oddly folded on 1 side and Indies from Bahamas and Cuba to Trinidad and
wit11 5 short, wavy and irregularly toothed lobes Dutch West Indies. Also from southern Mexico
1% inches across; the 4 stamens are inserted in to Peru and Brazil. Cultivated in the Old World
corolla tube in 2 pairs with large anthers visible; tro ics.
and the pistil on a disk has a 1-celled ovary, very ~TIIEII COXYON ~~t~m.-giiirtt, higiiero (DOslender
style, and broad 2-lobed stigmn. There is minicnn Republic) ; @im, calabasa (Cuba) ; cuan
unpleasant odor suggesting rotten cabbage. jete, ciridn, twomate,. guaje (Mexico) ; jicaro,
The giant fruits (berries) have thin hard shells jicnrn (Central Amer~ca) ; morro (Guatemala,
and whitish pulp and do not split open. The many Honduras) ; guacal (El Salvador) ; calabawro