Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

MULBERRY FAMILY (MORACEAE)
22. Jaguey blanco, shortleaf fig Ficus laevigata Vahl
Like the obller mild ancl planted tree species of suitable for boxes, crates, interior construction,
the same genus (Ficus), the commonest of the tincl light carpentry.
jagiieyes or wild figs of Puerto ltico is recognized The p1:ults make excellent live fenceposts beby
: (1) milky juice, or ml~ite latex, n~hich esudes cause they root so readily from cuttings. Grown
copiously from cut or brolren parts; (2) aerial :is an ornamental and shade tree in Puerto Rico
roots often extending from bmnches to the ancl southern Florida.
ground; (3) prominent long-pointed buds at end 170un plants of this and some related species
of each twig, formed by a scale (sti ~ule) which cornmotl
inalres n rinq sea:; and (1) stnall A
7 y start as air plants (epiphytes) high on
eslly figlike :L fork of nnotl~er tree wliere birds have dispersed
fruits paired or single at leaf bases, with minute the seeds. After sendin slender :~eri:tl roots to the
flowers hidden inside. Jarriiey I~lanco is further ground, the vinelike p (i ant grows rapidly. Its
distinguished by: (1) w!htish bark; and (2) roots usually unite to fonn a trunk, sometimes
leaves with relatively long slencler petioles x-2 strangling and killing the olcler tree.
inches long and short-pointed elliptic to oblong I11 forests, thickets, fence rovs, and roadsides
blades 11/24 inches long and yLT3% inches broad, throilghout Pnerto Rico with the exception of the
the 6-10 lateral veins on each slcle about inch up er mo~lntain regions. Also in Biona, Icacos,
apart. and nearly at right angles to midrib. Cu 7 ebm, TTieques, St. Croix, St. Thornt~s, St. John,
A sinall to medium-sized spreading evergreen and Tortola.
tree to 60 feet high and 2$" feet in trunk cliametec Prmr,~c FORESTS.-Aguirre, Cambalache, Carite,
The bark is smoothish, becomin~ slightly fissured. Gunjataca, Ciuilnica, Guilarte, Luquillo, Maricao,
The inner bark is light brown, Rbrons, ant1 al~ilost Rio Abajo, San Juan, SusGa, Toro Xegro, Vega.
tasteless, the white latex also nearly tasteless. RAXGE.-Southern Florida including Florida
Twigs are $enish, turning to gray, have faint, Ke s and through \Vest Indies from IJahamns and
rings at no es, and termin:ite in a long pointed Cu IL to Grenacla nncl Barbados.
green scale (stipule) 3/s-5/8 inch long.
OTIZER coJrarox NABIES.-~~J~U~Y, jagiiey macho,
Blades of the alternate leaves vary greatly in j@ieillo, jigiierillo (Puerto Rico) ; white fig (Virsize
and shape and are abruptly short-pointed at g~n Islands) ; higuillo (Dominican Republic) ;
apex and rounded, short-pointed, or slightly heart- jagiiey, jagiieicillo (Cuba) ; shortleaf fig, wild fig,
shaped at base, often n little thickened, hairless, mild banyan (United States) ; shortleaf wild fig
and not toothed at edges. Tlie upper surface is (Bahanlas) ; figuier (St. TAucia) ; fiy ier maudit,
green to dark green, slightly shiny, with many tiny figuier blnnc, figuier banian (Guadelo~~pe) ; figuier
dots (raised on a dried leaf), ancl the lolver sur-, mauclit (Biartinique) .
face is paler.
Ro~ax~c-11, srxox~xs.-Ficus Zentiginosa Vahl,
As the flowers in this genus are not visible, it P. lneviqata var. lentiginosn (Vahl) Urban, F.
appears that the trees have fruits but no flowers. j'optt7nen IYillcl., F. brevif~lia Nutt., F. popttlnea
lhe figlike multiple fruit (syconium), actually a var. brevifolin (Nutt.) IITarb., F. Iaevigata var.
compound fruit, corresponds to an enlarged over- brcvifolirr (Nut t.) JTarb.
grown flower stalk beming on the inner walls This is a variable species of vide geographical
numerous tiny male and felnale flowers (monoe- range, co~nposecl of races within Puerto Rico and
cious) and the small seeds, each technically a fruit outside difiering in size of leaves and fruits and
from a single flower. In this species the slightly in length of fruit stalks. Some taxonomists have
fleshy rounded fruits about 3/s inch in dianleter distinguished 2 or 3 species and additional variare
borne on slender st:lllrs l/g-% inch long. eties. Recently, however, this species has been conare
greenish, often brown dotted, tumiiig recldis TtleY 1 siclered a synonym of F. citrifozia Mill., interancl
brownish at maturity, and edible though taste- preted ns a species of broad geographic distribuless.
There are 2 scales '/16 inch lqng joined at base tion in tropical America from Florida south to
and n small pore at apex. Fruits tire borne Paraguay.
through the year.
13esicles the 2 native and 2 introduced species of
The sap\\-ood is whitish, and the heartwood light this genus of figs described and illustrated here,
brown. The ~-ood is fairly light\reight (specific several others have been planted for shade and
gravity 0.40), soft and tough, ancl strong for its o~~~ttment. Another species of jagiiey or wild fig
weight. Nevertheless, it is not durable and is very (Fictla tm'gonufn L.; synonyms F. crmsineruiu
susceptible to attack by dry-mood ter~uites. The Desf:, F. stahlii Illarb.) native in Puerto Rico and
rate of air-seasoning is slow, and amount of de- Virgin Islands is characterized by stout, hairy
pnicle is minor. Blacllining characteristics are as twigs, petioles 1/2-11/2 inches long, oblong or ovate
follo.r\-s: planing and sanding are good; sllaping, leaf blades 3-6s inches long and 11/24 inches
turning, boring, and mortising tire poor; ancl re- broad, usually rounded at both ends, and rounded
sistance to screw splitting is excellent. Tlie mood figlilre fruits y8-5/8 inch in dirtmeter, single or
is used for making guitars and for fuel. It is paired on stalks of inch.