Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

BUCKWHEAT FAMILY (POLYGONACEAE)
27. Ortegdn Coccoloba swartzii Meisn.
Distinguishing characters for this species usu- The sapwood is whitish and hard. The heavy
ally of mountnin forests, include: (1) shiny men wood (specific gravity 0.7) is used in Puerto Rico
elllptic to broadly ovate to rounded leaf b 7 ades cliiefly for posts.
~nerally thick and leathery, 21/24 inches long and In tho lower and n~ountain forest regions
2 4 inclies broad, on sliort stout green pet~oles; of l'uerto Rico, to dwarf forests of the
(2) twigs rinpd at nodes with a green sheath summits. Also of Puerto Rim,
(ocrea) 3j-3/q inch high at base of young leaves; Vieques, St. Croix, St. John, and Virgin Gorda.
(3) the terminal erect green flowering axis gener- PUNLIC FORESTS.-Cnrite, Guilarte, Luquillo,
nlly stout and inch in diameter, bearing Blr~rictto, Tom Negro.
inlkny stnlkless greenish 5- nrted flowers singly RAN~E.-Bahamas, Greater Antilles, St, Croix,
tisd not crowded; and (4) syi htly fleshy green to St. John, Virgin Gorda, and Lesser Antilles from
blackish egg-shaped fruit (a Ck ene) 5/le inch long Sabn to St. Lucia and Barbados.
wi tli cttlyx lobes at top.
OT~IER COJflION NAMLZEG.-UV~~~~ (Pllerb Rico) ;
h small to medii~m-sized evergreen tree com- uvillGn (Cuba) ; tie-tongue (Bahamas).
rnonl to 40 feet Iiigh and 8 inches in trunk diam- The common form known only from mountains
eter, gut recorded to 50 feet in height and 3 feet of Puerto Rico and characterized by thick leaves
in trunk diameter, with narrow or rounded cro\\-n. lind stout flowerin axis has been distinguished
Tlle bark is gray, smooth to slinlitly fissured, the lilso as a species ( 8 occoloba borin uensi~ Britton;
l)ro\vn or pinkish inner bark ~&~lltl bitter and C. atoot*trti f. urbanii (Lindnu) dmard).
gritt The stout gray twigs are slig T ~tly crooked Tllree related species may be mentioned here.
:and &nt at the ringed nodes.
One called uvern (Coccoloba pyrifolia Desf.),
T~a\?es are alternate on petioles 3/8-% inch long. known only from Puerto Rico, has narrowly ovate
T3lttiles are blunt-pointed or rounded at apex nnd Ienves 24y2 ii~clles long and 1-2% inches wide,
~*oundecl or slightly heart-shaped at base, the eclges s11ot.t-pointed or blunt at apex, veins incoris~icuous
not toothed, shiny green nbove cincl a little lighter oil both sides, and round fruits only inch in
green beneath. Upon drying the minute network dirtmeter.
of small veins becomes sllglitly raised and promi- IJverillo (Coccoloba ?nhro~tnchya TQilld. ; synnent
on both surfttces.
onym C. obtrcaifolin a\lth., not JVi'lld.) is n shrub
The flower cluster (spike) is 612 inches long. or small tree widely distributed in tlie drier arens
l'lo\vers are male aricl femnle on different trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and also in
(clioecious). The male flower s/16 inch across has IIispnniola. It has smnll, mostly oblong or orate
:I cuplike scale at base nncl cons~sts of basal tube leaves 11h-2% inches long and %-1% inches aide,
(~1yp:lnthiunl) $Ilo inch long with 9 widely sprettd- the apex sliort-pointed, rounded, or notched the
ing cnlyx lobes more than $/la inch long, 8 sprend- I):tse rounded, veins prominent cind forming dense
ing stamens, and ru(1imentnry pistil. In the fe- network on both sides, itnd black fruit inch long
male flower tho stnme~u are smnll, and the larger 11ot nnpld.
pistil has n 3-angled 1-collcxl ovary arid 3 styles. Coccoh)brc krugii Lind~iu, anotllier shrub or small
The fruit is composcd of the bnsal tube (hypan- tree of drier arens of Puerto Rico, Anegada, and
t,llium) 1h inch long bearing nt apex- the 5 calyx elso\vliere in the lJTest Indies, litis ovate leaves 1-2
lobes more than $Il6 inch long and ericlosing s shiny inches long and 5/8-1% inclies wide, rounded at
dark bro~\-n seed inch long. Recorded in flower tlpex and Iieart-shaped at base, veins inconsp~cuous
and-fruit fro111 June to September.
on 11p1)er si~rf:lce, and 3-nnglecl fruit inch long.