PERKINS — 'THE LEGUMINOSAE OF rOKTO RICO, 141 



Inga vera is used extensively fortiliadein coffee plantations. (Cook and Collins, 

 p. 167.) The bark of the tree is employed as an astringent, and in Guadaloupe for 

 tanning and dyeing; the sweet pidp is often eaten^ and it is also used in catarrhal 

 maladies. 



Local nameSj (juava, (juaha. 



2. Inga laurina (S\v.) Willd. 



(Urban, 2(12.) 



Tree 10 to 15 meters high; leaflets 2-jugate, ovate or oval-oblong, obtuse or obtuse- 

 acuminate, coriaceous, glabrous, the large:it 7 to 12 cm. long; spikes axillary, elon- 

 gated; flowers white; calyx 1.5 mm. long; corolla 5 to 6 mm. long; legume oblique at 

 the base, 7.5 to 10 cm. long, 2.5 cm. ^vide. 



In woods nrar Bayamon; near Juncos on Mount Goyo; Sierra de Yabucoa on :Mouut 

 Ceno Gordo; near Maunabo, on Mount ^Mala Pasqua in the town of Utuado; near Cal)o 

 Rojo; near Mayaguez.— Haiti, St. Thomas, St. Croix (Eggers), St. John (Eggers), St. 

 Kitts, Antigua, Guad(^loiipe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia (Benlham), St. Vincent, 

 Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad (Bcntham). 



According to Cook and Collins (p. 107) this species is second in importance only to 

 liKja vera as a shade tree for coffee. 

 Local name, gnama. 



2. PITHECOLOBIUM Mart. 



Pithcrol obi avi Mart. Flora 20-: Beibl. 114. 1837. 



Spiroloba Rap. Sylva Tellur. 119. 1838. 



Ca///o/v/uon- IIassk. Retzia 1: 231. 1855. 

 Flowers 5-mcrous, seldom 6-merous, hermaphrodite, rarely polygajnou?; calyx 

 campanulate or tubulai-, short-dentate; corolla tubular or funnel-shaped, petals con- 

 nate beyond the middle; stamens indefinite, ofu^n connate; ovary sessile or stipitate, 

 ovules numerous; legume compressed, circinate, curved, or almost straight, coriace- 

 ous or somewhat fleshy, two-valvcd, the valves after the dehiscence often twisted, 

 oftimer indehiscent or in some species separating into 1-seeded segments; seeds flat, 

 ovate or circidar, often imbedded in a fleshy pulp; funiculus (iliform or forming an aril.— 

 Trees and slnnibs, the majority of which are unarmed, althuugli many liave thorny 

 stipules; leaves bipinnate; flowers red or wliite; inflorescence capitate or spicate, 

 axillary (or sometimes corymbose, racemose, or panicled at the extremities). 



KEY TO THE SPECIES 



Leaflets glabrous beneath. 



Pinnae 2 to 5-jugate, leaflets 2 to 8-jagate. 1. P, saman. 



Pinnae 8 to 12-jugatc, leaflets 20 to 30-jugatt!. 2. P. arboreum 



Leaflets pubescent beneath. 



3. P, unguis-cali 



1. Pithecolobium sanian (^Jacq.) Benth 



(Urban, 2(140 



A large tree; leaflets (jblitiiu^, ovaLc-ublong or subor]nculal<', 2 to 5 cm. long, 1.5 to 

 2.5 cm. wide; flowers rose-colored, in a globose head; calyx 8 mm. long; corolla 1,5 

 cm. long; legume 18 to 20 cm. long, 1.25 to 2.50 cm. wide. 



Doubtfully indigenous. Near Bayamon at Tatafio; ntnir Manati on the way to 

 Arecibo. rul>a, Jamaica (inlroduciMi, Benthani), St. Thomas (introduced, Eggcrs), 

 St. Croix (di>.), Guadeloupe (cultivated), Martinicple (cultivated), St. Lucia (Grise- 

 bach), Trinidad (Hart). Native couiUry, Central and South America. 



