Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

MADDER FAMILY (RUBIACEAE)
241. Albarillo, Caribbean princewood Exostema caribaeum (Jacq.) Roem. & Schult.
This shrub or small tree of dry areas is distinguished
b : (1) slender spreading brnnches sometimes
wit i' lout n definite crown of foliage; (2)
opposite, small, thin, elliptic or ovate leaves, longor
short-pointed with m~nute sharp point at apex
and short-pointed at base, commonly curved upward
on both sides of midrib; (3) large whitish or
pale yellowish flowers 2-2s inches long, with nnrrow
corolla tube and 5 very narrow s rendin
lobes, borne singly at leaf bnses; and r4) dnrf
brown elliptic seed capsules %-B)$ inch long.
Everpeen, 10-25 feet high and to 4 inches in
trunk d~nmeter. The bark is dnrk gray, smoothish
with dots (lenticels), and thin, or becoming fissured.
Inner bark is bitter and ellow, the cut surfnce
turning orange. The slen d' er gray twigs have
lenves commonly crowded and a pair of pointed
bristlelike scales (stipules) inch long forming a
rin at ench node. The nodes are mostly close toget
R er and bear old fruit stalks as well as scale
rin back of the leaves.
'Re lenves have slender petioles %+ inch long
and blndes 1-3 inches lon and 1/2-1% inches
broad, the ecl es not toothe4 green to dnrk green
on upper sur f ace, lighter green and slightly hai
beneath. Sometimes the leaves are yellow spottex
and with very slender yellow anthers extending 1
inch beyond tube; and pistil with 2-celled inferior
ovary and very long slender style about 2% inches
long.
The seed capsules split into 2 parts to release
the many brown seeds, which are elliptic, s/16 inch
long, thin, nnd bordered by n narrow ring.
Flowering and fruiting irregularly through the
year.
The sapwood is yellon-, and the heartwood is
lidit brown with yellow streaks. The wood is
liarcl, very heavy (specific gravity 1.0), and
strong. -1 clurnble fencepost. Else1~11e1.e the wood
has been utilized in cnbinetmnking, \~~ood turning,
such ns for cnnes, and inlaid work. The wood
burns readily rind has served for torches, ns a few
common names indicate.
Formerly the bitter bark was used for treatment
of fevers and as n substitute for cinchona bark,
the source of quinine, which is obtained from a
closely related genus (Cinchona).
Common in open areas, clearings, thickets, and
cutover dry forests near coasts and at lower and
middle elevations in southern and western Puerto
Rico. Also in Mona, Culebra, Visques, Muertos,
St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Virgin
Gorda, and Anegnda.
PUBLIC FORESTB.-GU~ jaha, Guiinica, Maricao,
Sus6a.
BIUSICIPALI'I?EB WIIERE ESPECIALLY COMMON.-
12, 26, 54.
RANOE.-Southern Florida includin Florida
ICe s and throu h West Indies from Rn amas and
Si
f
Cu a to Grena a. Also from central Mexico to
Costa Ricn.
OTHER COMMON NAMEB.-~~~O de Jazmin teilln,
cuero de sapo, uinq palo de uina (Puerta kico) ;
yellow-torch ( 't. irgin Islan % s) ; piiif-pifii, quina
criolla (Dominican Re ublic) ; cerillo, lirio san-
tnna, carey de costa ( 2' uba) ; copalche (Mexico) ;
h e s i t o Nicaragua) ; Caribbean princewood,
rincewoo d (United States) ; princewood (Ba-
ramas) ; Caribbee bark-tree, Jamaica Jesuit-bark
(Jamaica) ; ironwood (Anti a) ; chandelle Anglaise,
q"inquina pa s (~aitg tendre en omme,
quinquina carni%e, tois chandelle (Guade oupe) ;
quinquina piton (Martinique) .
f
Two other s ecies of this genus have been collected
once in 8 nerto Rico, though present also on
other islands. Plnteado (E~ostema ellipticum
Griseb.) , found in the mountain forest of the Central
Cordillern near Villnlbn, hns elliptic leaves
1%3M inches long and 1-1% inches wide,
rounded or short- ointed at both ends, with
~etioles about j/q inc R long; clusters of few smaller
kowers nbout i-ll/r inches long, with corolla
white, becoming rose; and cylindric s d capsules
6/g-l% inches long.
Exostema sanctae-l& (Kentish) Brittan, ob-
served in the mountnin forest near Maricao many
gears ago, hns larger oblong to elliptic leaves
443% inches long and about half as wide, short-
pointed, shiny above, dull and with tufts of hairs
111 vein angles benenth, with petioles 1/2 inch long
or less; flower clusters terminal flowers 1-1%
inches long, with red corolla; anA cylindric seed
cnpsules %-3/q inch long.