Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

BIGNONIA FAMILY (BIGNONIACEAE)
235. Roble cimarrin Tabebuia haemantha (Bert) DC.
This handsome small tree native only of Puerto
Rico is characterized b : (1) opposite, digitate or
palmately compound r aves with 5 or 3 elliptic
stiff and leathery leaflets and stout petioles;
sliolvy, dark red or crimson flowers llh-2 inc P ies
long, namowly tubular and irregularly 5-lobed,
severnl to many in erect terminal clusters; and
(3) narrow grooved seed pod 2lh-4 inches long
and less than 1h inch in diameter.
Usually a small tree 10-20 feet tall or often
flowerin ns a shrub, everr. The gray bark is
smoothis and sli htly ssured, the inner bark
whitish and slight F y bitter. The light gray twigs
are slightly flattened below nodes.
The leaves have petioles 1-2 inches long and
leaflet stalks l/g-1 inch long. Leaflet blades are
2-6 inches long nnd 1/2-11/2 inches broad, when 5
tlie lowest 2 much smaller than the others and
near1 stalkless, the apex short-pointed or rounded
and i ase rounded or slightly heart-shaped, with
edges turned under slight1 , hairless or minutely
scaly hairy, the upper su d ace p n and slightly
shiny, and lower surfnce paler.
Flower clusters (panicles) have several to many
flo\vers on slender sprending branches 3-6 inches
long and broad. The tubular dark red a1yx 3/9-
5/8 ~nch long has 2 or mare short and unequal
rounded lobes at apex ; the dark red or crimson co-
rolla is 135-2 inches long with lon narrow tube
and B/g inch or more across the 5 s 7 101% irregular
lobes; there are 4 stamens in 2 pairs inserted near
bnse of corolla with the long slender filaments pro-
jecting beyond; and pistil on a disk with conical
2-celled ovary, slender style as long as corolla, and
stigma with 2 flattened lobes.
The seed pod (capsule) retains the calyx at
bnse nnd bears many 2-winged seeds 8/q inch lon
Probably flowering and fruiting nearly throug
tlie ear.
~ g li e ht brown, hard wood is little used because
of t ? ie small size of the tree.
Perhaps of ornamental value for the showy
flowers from which the specific name, meanin
blood Aower, was derived. N. L. Britton call 3
this one of the most elegant of the endemic species
of Puerto Rico.
In dry forests and thickets in the southern foot- .
hills rising into the lower mountain region on the
south slopes of the west end of the Central Cordillera
of Puerto Rim.
PUBLIC FOREGTS.-&~~~~C~O, SUS~.
R~No~.-Knowvn only from Puerto Rico.
OTIIE~ COMMON ~~m.-roble colorado (Puerto
Rico) .
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