Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

243. Jagua, genipa
Jaya or genipa, the source of n sour refreshin
drink, is characterized by : (1) an erect trunk wit A
leaves concentrated at the ends of the bmnches;
(2) opiosite, large elliptic or obovnte leaves, green
or dnr pen, sl~ghtl~ shiny, 4-12 inches Ion and
ly-4 inches broad, short-pointed at apex ?ongo~nted
at base, md broadest beyond middle; (3)
Lrge pale yello~v flowers about 1 inch long and
11/2 inches across the 5 lobes, few or severnl in short
terminal clusters; and (4) lar e elliptic yellow-
brown fruits 31/2-4% inches f ong and 21/2+1/2
inches in diameter, w~th sour edible flesh, hnnglng
down singly on long stalks.
This is a medium-sized deciduous tree to 60 feet
high and 1Y2 feet in diameter or larger, with
spreading crown of dense foliage. The bark is
smooth, py, and thick. Inner bark is light bronqi
and almost tasteless. The stout twigs are green,
turning brown, with ringed nodes close together,
hairless or hairy.
Tlle short petioles are x-l/z inch long. Blades
are without teeth on edrces. sli~htlv thickened,
the lower surface nler &e'en &d hairless and
often hairy. At t T ie base of young leaves are
long-pointed scales (stipules) s/s-s/s inch long,
which shed early. Upon drying the leaf blades
turn dark bluish
The branched ffTen. 01% er clusters (cymes) are shortstslked,
2 4 inches long nnd brond, bearing large,
slightly fragrant flowers. Tlie funnel-shaped bnse
(hy anthiurn) and cylindricnl tubular calyx with-
out 7 obes are green, together l/z inch long and YL
inch in diameter; the corolla has n tube about 1/2
inch long with 5 brond lobes, which are widely
spreading and turned back, pnle yello\v but brown
at base inside. finely hairy; 5 stamens inserted on
the corolla tube; and pistil with &-celled inferior
ovary, slender style, and long thicker stigma.
Fruits (berries) tire soft \vlien mature, \\.it11
strong sour odor, with leathery skin and yellow-
brown pulp 1/2 inch thick. Within are numerous
flnt yellowish seeds ?/s-Yz inch long. Flowering
and fruiting from sprlng to fall.
The sapwood is cream colored, and the heart-
wood very light yellowish brown, occusionnlly
with slight, pinkish- or purplish-blue overcast,
with growth rings marked by narrow darker
bands forming an attractive striped fimre. The
\rood is hard, heavy (specific gmvity 0.66), strong,
resilient, fine-testured, and with strnight to irreg-
rllnr gruin. Rate of air-seasoning is slow, and
r~mount of depde is minor. Machining charac-
MADDER FAMILY (RUBIACEAE)
Genipa americana L,
teristics are as follows: planing, shaping, turning,
boring, nnd mortising are excellent; and sanding
~tnd resistnnce to screw splitting are good. The
wood \vorks ensil and with excellent results, better
than most ot h er Puerto Rican moods. It is
very susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites,
pinllole borers, and to decay.
IJses include tool handles, furniture, boxes, and
cnrts. Elsewhere the wood is employed for shoe
lnsts, plow beams, tool handles, barrel hoops,
chests, vehicles, and shipbuilding. It is very suitnble
for cabinetwork, turnery, flooring, interior
trim, and decorative veneer.
The trees are grown for shade and ornament as
well as for the fruit and wood. An intoxicating
beverage has been prepared from the fermented
juice. The fruits sometimes are made into marmnlntle
or preserves. Imnint~~re fruits contaln a
blue-blnck juice which produces a lasting or indeliblo
stain. It has been used as 5 dye and by the
Intlic~ns in tattooing and in pnint~ng tliemselves as
n protection gain st insect bites. A honey plant.
IAivestock eat the fruits.
\\roodlands and pastures in the constal, moist
limestone, and lower mountain regions of Puerto
Rico. Planted around houses for the edible fruits.
Also in Vieques, St. Thomas, and St. John.
PUI%LIO ~o~~x3~s.-Cambalache, Carite, Luquillo,
bfnricno, Rio Abajo, Sus6n.
Rlt~a~.-Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and
Vir in Islands, Lesser Antilles from Gundeloupe
to 6 rennda, and Trinidad and Tobago. Also from
southern Mexico and Central America south to
Ecnndor, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Bmzil.
OTHER COMMON ~~xu~s.-jagua (Spanish, cornmerce)
; maluco (Mexico) ; irayol, ira 01 de loma
(Gantemnln) ; irayol, tambor, tiiinzentes (El
Salvador) ; tapaculo, gigunlti (Nicarngua) ; paiti1
(Costa Rica) ; guaitil blanco, jagus amanlla,
jagan blnnca, jagun colorndo, jagun de montaiin,
jrtgnn negrn (Panama) ; cnruto, caruto rebalsero
(Irenezuela) ; huito, vaco-liuito, vito (Peru) ; bi
(nolivin) ; dnndipii (Argentina) ; nipap, ma?-
~nnlnde-box (British \Vest Indies5 rose-mane
(St. Lucin) ; resotu montagne (Dom~nica) ; 'uniper,
genip (Trinidad) ; ibo-ink (Tobago) ; Inn&
gelliptree, nipn (British Guiann) ; @ne-pas,
g611ipnyer (@? Haiti) ; genipa (Gundeloupe, French
Guiann) : tnproepn, tapoeripn, arnsnloe, sawa
(Surinam) ; genipapo (Brazil).
I~OTANICAL s~xo~~nrs.-Senipa caruto H. B. K.,
G. antericana var. camcto (H. B. R.) Schum.