Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

244, Palo de cucubano, "greenheart," roughleaf
MADDER FAMILY (RUBIACEAE)
velvetseed Guettarda scabra (L.) Vent.
This common small tree with very rough leaves Cuba to Trinidad and Tobago, Margarita (Veneis
recognized by: (1) o posite, small, elliptic or zuela), nnd other islands off coast of Venezuela.
ovate leaves which are t f i~ck and stiff, with edges Also recorded long ago from Jamaica.
turned under, very rough on upper surface, and OTIIER COJTB~ON ~ ~~~m.-palo de
finely hairy with very prominent raised network suolt~ (Puerto Rico) ; "greenheart"
of smnll veins on lower surface ; (2) narrow hairy, lands) ; carnpacho, chichnrrcin de
~vllite to bmn-11 flowers s/ -1 inch long, tubular and roughleaf velvetseed, rough
6-8-lobed, several crowbod together at end of a States) ; rough velvetseed velvet-berry (Bahalateral
stalk; and (3) rounded, red, velvety hairy, ~nt~s) ; craw-wood (~arbuda) ; candlewood (Anfleshy
fruits %-1/2 inch in diameter.
tigun) ; bois madame, bois noire (St. Lucia) ; ju-
An everpen smnll tree 10-15 feet or more in niper (Grenada) ; blue copper Tobago) ; bois
heiglit and to 4 inches in trunk diameter ~ritli mndnme, goynvier bltard (Guade \ oupe) ; candleopen,
spreading crown, or shrubby. The bnrk is wood, wild pave (St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustagray,
smooth, and thin, on larger trunks peeling t ius) .
off in smnll thin flakes l~rid slightly mottled. In- Though called "greenheart" in the Virgin Isner
bnrk is \vhitish or light brown, almost tnste- lands, this smnll tree is unrelated to the valuable
less or slightly bitter. The twigs are green and timber greenheart or Demerarn reenlieart (Ocobrown
hairy when youncr, becoming ray.
tan roduzei (R. Schomb.) Mez) , o f British Guiana.
The leaves have petioTes inc f 1 long, hairy Five related species of trees all have the leaves
when young, nand a pair of nitrrow, pointed, hairy slnooth above. The first 3 below have flowers
scales (stipules) K, inch long at the base. Blades trbout :% inch long, and the last 2 have smaller
nre 1-31,$ ~nches long and 8/84 inches broad, short- flowers less than % inch long. Cucubano (Gzcetpointed
and n-it11 minute sllnrp point at apex, tar& laevi* Urban), known only from mountain
rounded or slightly lieart-shaped at base. The forests of western Puerto Rico, has attractive useupper
surface IS een, roug11 hairy (sometimes ful wood described in "Puerto Rican IVoods" and
nearly smootl~), s&l~tly shiny, :~nd with veins a nvnilnblo in small sizes. It has broadly ovate to
little sunken, and the lower surface is paler. elliptic leaves 1%-5 inches Ion slightly thick-
Usual1 several or ti few frngrant flowers, hairy ened, hairless except for minute f' airs on veins bet~nd
stnl E less, are borne on a headlike cluster neath, and petioles hairless or minutely hairy.
(cyme) at the end of nn erect slender 1lai flower Gz~ettnrda ovalifolk Urbnn, of central and weststalk
x-3 inches long. The short tubxr bnso ern Puerto Rico, mostly in mountains, and also
(Iiypa~~thium) and irrepalnrly %lobed calyx tube Hispaniola, hns broadly ovate to elliptic leaves
together are nearly s/lo inch long; the corolla has 24y2 inches long, thin, upper surface nearly 'hairti
llnrrolr tube t~bout % inc11 lolip tuld 6-8 spread- less rind with veins in prominent network, lower
ing lobes % inch across, trllite (sometimes pink- surfnco hairy on veins, and petioles hairy.
ish) but turning to bro\rn; stamens as many as Guettarda ktugii Urban, of coastal thickets of
tlle corolln lobes, inserted r111nost stalkless near soutli~restern Puerto Rico and also Bahamas, has
mouth of tube; and pistil co~isists of inferior orary ovate to elliptic leaves ls4 inches lon thick and
11-it11 usnnlly 4-6 cells, sle~~cler style, and rounded leathery, halrless above, the lower sur ?' ace densely
stigma. Fruits (drupcs) tire broader than long, liniry nnd with prominent network of veins.
\\.it11 n large stone contnining s few seeds. Flower- Guettarda pnrviflora. Vahl is found in souther11
ing and fruiting irregulnrly througll the year. 1'11e1.to Rico, TTieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St.
Tlie sr~pn-ood is light brown nnd hard. A spe- John, Tortola, and Virgin Gordn, and Lesser Ancific
gravity of about 0.8 has 1)een recorded. Used t.illes south to northern South America. It has
only for st* ,I k es and fuel.
s~iiall oblong to elliptic leaves inches long,
C ommon in open :weas, clenrings, t~nd thickets thin, sliiny above, and hairless or nearly so bein
the constnl, moist limcstonc., and lower moun- nenth.
twin regions of Puerto R~co. Also in Vieques, St.
Vroix, St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, and Virgin
Guettatda elJiptica Sm. grows mostly in coastal
Gorda.
thickets of southern and eastern Puerto Rim, St.
PV~LIC FORESTS.-Cnmbalnche, Gunjntaca, Biari- Thomas, bfuertos, Desecheo, and Mona, \rest to
cno, Rio Abajo, Susiia, Yep.
Florida, where known as Everglades dropseed;
JIc XICIPALITIES WIIERE FSPECI,\LLI- COMXON.- t~lso in hiexico and TTenezuela. It has small ellip-
64 74.
tic leaves %-23/p inches long, thin, dull and nearly
IZ.\sak:.-Southern Floricln including Florida litiirless above, and beneath wit11 fine, pressed,
Keys and through 7Vest Indies from Bahamas and silky hairs.