Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

BIGNONIA FAMILY (BIGNONIACEAE)
236. Roble blanco, "white-cedar" Tabebuia heterophylla (DC.) Britton
This valuable timber tree is distinguished by:
(1) beautiful masses of showy pink tubular 5-
lobed flowers 2-3s inches long, covering the tree
in spring and making it stand out ns an attractive
feature of the landsape; (2) opposite palmate
leaves with 5 or fewer (sometimes only 1) unequal
elliptic or oblnnceolate leaflets; and (3) dark
brown cignrlike pods 3-8 inches long and M inch
in diameter.
Roble blanco is a small to mediumsized, mostly
deciduous tree attaining 60 feet in height and 1%
feet in diameter, with an erect axis and narrow
columnar crown. The bark is rough and furrowed,
pay to brown, about l,l 3/8 inch thick. Inner bark
IS light brown and &ghtly bitter.
green, turning to brown, covered with tiny rown are
dotlike scales, with lnrgo nearly round leaf scars.
The leaves typically are 6-12 inches lon
ing the petioles 2-5 inches long and lea P ets includ- with
slender stalks about 1/2-1 inch lon and blades 2-6
inches Ion and 1-21/2 inches tri 6 e. However, in
dry areas t Ci, e leaves are smaller, only 11h-5 inches
long, includin the petioles inches long and
the short-stnl k ed or stalkless leaflets only %-3
inches Ion and as few as 1. hflets are mo:tly
€
broadest eyond middlo and commonly blunt-
pointed at apex and bnse, the edges without teeth
and sometimes slightly turned under, slightly
thickened, hairless exce t for tiny brown dotlike
scales, green and slight y shiny on upper surfacs
and puler beneath.
P
The large flowers are abundant over the cro\\-n,
few to several together in terminal and laternl
clusters (corymbs or panicles) or sometimes single
on slender stalks x-1 inch long. Calyx tubular,
9/g-g inch long, 3-5-toothed, covered with dotlike
scales; the tubular corolla funnel-shaped,
2-3Y2 inches long with 5 slightly unequal broad
lobes l%-3 inches across, dee pink or sometimes
varying from whitish to purp 7 ish; stamens 4, in 2
pairs of different lengths inserted on the corolla;
and pistil on n disk, with 2-celled ovary, slender
stylo, and 2-lobed stigma.
The pod (capsule) s lits along 2 lines to shed
the numerous thin lig R t brown seeds 1/2-1 inch
long with 2 white wings. The fresh seeds average
about 21,000 to the ound. Flowering mainly In
P
early spring but n so sporndically through the
year, and with mature fruits over the year.
The heartwood is light brown with grayish or
golden hue and fine brown lines, not easily se a-
rated from the similar sapwood. The woo is
moderately hnrd, moderately heavy (specific grnv-
ity 0.58), tough, strong, with medium to coarse
texture, with straight to interlocked grain, and
gro\vth rings. The rnte of air-seasoning is rapid,
and amount of degrnde is moderate. Machining
characteristics are as follows: planing and resist-
B
ance to screw splitting are fair; shaping, boring,
mortising, and snnding are exeellent; and turning
is good. The wood takes a high polish. It is moderately
durable in contact with the ground but
very susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites.
The wood is important in Puerto Rico, classed ns
construction timber, although now* cut chiefly for
posts and poles. Other uses mostly elsewhere nre
furniture, cabinetwork, interior tnm, face veneer,
flooring, paneling, bontbuilding, and ox yokes.
Extensively planted on the more humid public
forest lands because of its adaptability to solls degraded
by faming. The abundant small trees
found in many areas may in good weather be
pulled up and successfull reestablished by planting
elsewhero. Classed n i' so as a honey
Because of the numerous large pmn!laEkers
which cover the tree, often when nearly leafless,
and mhicll form n car let on the ground upon falling,
the t,rees are popu \ ar for ornament and shade.
Unfortunately, some trees in Puerto Rico have
been deformed by a witches'-broom disease. Also,
in long dry periods, leafhoppers feed on these
trees, defoliating them or causing the leaves to
turn yellow. Consequently, some authorities have
suggested that planting of this species for om*
ment be tliscont~nued nnd have recommended the
substitution of immune introduced species of the
same genus.
Widespread in forests, abandoned pastures, secondary
forests, forest plantations, and along roqdsides
nnd city streets throughout Puerto R~co, wlth
the exception of the upper Luquillo and upper
Cordillern forest regions. Also In Mona, Cap de
bfuertos, Culebrn, Viques, St. Croix, St. Thomas,
St. John, Tortoln, Virgin Gordn, and Anepda.
PUBLIC ~onm.-Aguirre, Cnmbalache, Carite,
Guajntnca, Gubnica, Guilarte, Luquillo, Maricao,
Rfo Abnjo, Suslin, Toro Negro, Vegn.
~~UNICIPALITIFX~ WHERE lBPECIAl.LY COMMON.-
13, 17, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32, 47, 50, 53, 58, 59,
68,74.
RANGE.-Hispnnioln, Puerto Rico and Virfiin
Islands, and throughout Lesser Antilles to Grenada
and Barbados. Also naturalized in Bermuda
and planted in southern Florida.
OTIIER conrMoN ~anr~8.-roble, roblo de yugo,
roble prieto, prieto, roble de costa (Puerto Rico) ;
pink manjack, pink-cedar, tooshe-flower (Virgn
Islands) ; roble blanco (Spanish) i roble (commerce)
; pink trum et-tree (Un~ted Statas) ;
white-cedar (Bermu cr a, St. Kitts to Grenada) ;
poirier (St. Lucia) ; whitewood (Barbados) ;
poirier gris, poirier rouge, poirier blanc (Guadeloupe,
French).
BOTANICAL 8~~0~~~18.-Tabebuk pentaphya
auth., not (L.) Hemsl., T. pallida (Lindl.) Miers,
T. pall& subsp. heterophylla (DC.) Stehl6, T.