Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

hterophylla subsp. pallida (Miers) StehlO, T.
dontinice& Urban, T. pall& subsp. dominicensio,
(Urban) StehlO, 2'. kccida Britton.
The Spanish name roble blanco, menning white
oak, refers to the superficial resemblance of the
wood to oak. The locnl English name "whitecedar"
in the Virgin Islnnds and Lesser Antilles
is misleading, because the wood does not resemble
that of the unrelated cedars. White tabebuia
would be a more approprinte name.
This is a variable species whose variations hnve
been distinguished ns species or subspecies by some
authors, as the above synon my indicates. The
typicnl variation common t rough Puerto Rico
except in the drier parts has lenves with 5 large
leaflets. In dry areas and on coastal thickets in
the Lesser Antilles the shorter trees, known as
K
BIGNONIA FAMILY (BIGNONIACEAE)
roble prieto, hnve smnller lenves with reduced
lenflets as few as 1, fewer and mostly smaller flow-
ers, shorter pods, and smnller seeds. A third var-
intion present in Gundeloupe, Dominica, and Mar-
tinique is a large tree whose lenves generally have
only 1 lnrge broadly elliptic thicker blade or
leaflet.
Some authors have united this West Indian
species with another species ranging from Mexico
through Central America to Colombia and Vene-
zuela and formerly known as Tabebuia penta-
phylla, a name now rejected. The mainland
species (T. rosea. (Bertol.) DC.), called apamnte
in Venezuela and pink poui in Trinidad, is a larger
tree readily distinguished by the 5 larger, long-
pointed, thinner, ovate leaflets.
237. Roble de sierra Tabebuia rtgMa Urban
A small to medium-sized tree confined to the
eastsrn mountains of Puetro Rico, distin ished
by : (!) o posite, elliptic to ovate, stiff an lentherg
sunp P e leaves 2-6 inches long and 1%-2?4
inches wide, with edgea curved under; (2) pink
to dark red tubular 5-lobed flowers 1%-2 inches
long, 1 or few in terminal clusters; (3) dark
brown, cigarlike pods 54% inches long and %
inch in diameter; and (4) 4-angled twigs.
Everpn tree commonly 25-30 feet tall and 8
inches in trunk diameter, sometimes larger or
shrubby. Crown o en and spreading. The
smooth, light brown t ark is usually covered with
mosses and similar small plants. Inner bark is
whitish and bitter. Twigs becoming pay, with
tin brown dotlike scales.
%etioles are H-1 inch long. Blades are shortinted
or rounded at apex and base, with tiny
gown dotlike scales, pen on upper surface and
paler beneath.
Flowers have slender stalks 1-1% inches long.
There is a tubular calyx s/g-45! inch Ion covered
with dotlike scales; the tubular con, a 135-2
%
r
through the year.
The snpwood is hard and brown. Because of
the small size and poor form of the trees, the wood
is little used.
Upper mountain forest, including dwarf forest,
in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico.
PUBLIC FOREST.-LU~U~~~O.
R~~a~.-Known only from enskrn herto Rico.
Roble colorndo (Tabebuia sohumanniana Urban),
known only from mountain forests of western
Puerto Rico, is a related species also with simle
leaves and red flowers. It differs in the leaves
Erondest tonard apex (obovate or oblaneeolate),
3-01/2 inches long, and the usually longer flower
stalks 1-2 inches long.