GINSENG FAMILY (ARALIACEAE) 

 201. Yagrumo macho, matchwood Didymopanax morototoni (Aubl.) Decne. & Planch. 



A striking tree easily recognized by its distinc- Flowering and fruiting nearly throughout the 

 tive branching, crown, and leaves. The smooth, y^^i'- 

 gray, ringed trunk, unbranched below, has a few- 

 stout branches above, bearing in uppermost part a 

 shallow crown like an umbrella formed by the ter- 

 minal clusters of leaves. The veiy large leaves 

 are palmately compound, with a long stout round 

 petiole 2 feet or less in length and usually 10 or 11 

 long-stalked oblong leaflets with blades 10-17 

 inches long, long-pointed at apex, and beneath 

 brown or greenish brown with a satiny coat of fine 

 hail's. 



As the common name suggests, this species re- 

 sembles yagrumo hembra (Cecropia peltata L.), 

 a botanically unrelated tree. However, in yag- 

 rumo hembra the leaves are not compound but 

 merely palmately veined and palmately lobed with 

 rounded lobes and they are whitish rather than 

 brown beneath. 



An evergreen tree becoming 60 feet or more in 

 height, with trunk 6-18 inches in diameter, in 

 Puerto Eico usually medium-sized. The gray or 

 light brown bark is smooth with many faint hori- 

 zontal rings and large leaf scars about 3 inches 

 apart. Inner bark is brownish and slightly bitter 

 or spicy in taste. The twigs, petioles, under sur- 

 face of leaflet blades, flower stalks, and flowers are 

 minutely gray or brown hairy. The few twigs are 

 very large and stout, about IV2 inches in diameter 

 and finely brown hairy. 



Leaves are alternate but closely crowded, with 

 sheath of 2 hairy pointed scales (stipules) I/4-V2 

 inch long at base. At apes of the round green 

 petiole are usually 10 or 11 spreading green leaflet 

 stalks 214—4!/^ inches long. Leaflet blades are 4- 

 7I/2 inches wide, and rounded or sometimes a little 

 heart-shaped at base, the edges often a little wavy, 

 slightly thickened and leathery, above green and 

 hairless. Young leaflets are brown haii-^' on both 

 surfaces. However, leaflets of young plants are 

 green on both sides and rough hairy above, thin, 

 sometimes saw-toothed on edges, and smaller, with 

 shorter petiole and fewer leaflets (7 or more). 



Flower clusters (panicled umbels) are lateral, 

 about 1-2 feet long and broad, with branches gi'ay 

 and finely hairy. The very numerous flowers are 

 grouped at ends of branches into numerous small 

 rounded clusters (umbels) less than 14 inch across, 

 on spreading flower stalks ^/i6-%6 irich long. The 

 5-parted finely brownish and gray hairy flower 

 about 3/jg inch across has a minute Ijasal tube (hy- 

 panthium) less than Vje inch long enclosing the 

 inferior 2-celled ovary and Ijearing the minute 5- 

 toothed calyx, 5 white pointed petals more than 

 1/^6 i'lch long, 5 stamens, and 2 styles. 



The fleshy fruit (berry) , gi-ay and covered with 

 a bloom, is about 3/jg inch long, 14 bich broad, and 

 a little flattened, with 2 styles at apex. It con- 

 tains 2 oblong flattened brown seeds 3/ig inch long. 



The wood is pale brown or light brown through- 

 out, soft, fairly lightweight (specific gravity 

 0.3G), fine-textured, straight-grained, brittle, and 

 has large pith. It is very susceptible to attack by 

 dry-wood termites and other insects and to decay. 

 The rate of air-seasoning is rapid, but the amovmt 

 of degrade is considerable. Machining character- 

 istics are as follows: planing, shaping, mortising, 

 and sanding are good ; turning is very poor ; boring 

 is poor; and resistance to screw splitting is ex- 

 cellent. 



In Puerto Rico the wood is little used, though 

 it is especially suitable for boxes and crates. 

 Wliere the trees are more abundant and of larger 

 size, uses include general carpentry, interior con- 

 struction, and boxes. In Trinidacl and British 

 Guiana the wood is made into matchsticks and 

 matchboxes. Other possible uses are utility grade 

 plywood, toys, pulp, and as a substitute for heavier 

 grades of balsa. 



Of possible value as an ornamental, growing 

 rapidly and requiring light. The leaves have 

 served in home remedies in other places. 



Scattered in forests of the lower mountain moist 

 coast and moist limestone regions of Puerto Rico. 

 Also in St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. 



Public forests. — Cambalache, Carite, Guaja- 

 taca, Luquillo, Maricao, Rio Abajo, Susua, Toro 

 Negro, Vega. 



Municipalities where especially commox. — 

 4, 6, 10, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30, 40, 43, 49, 51, 53, 

 58, 59. 



Raxge. — Widespread in wet forests of tropical 

 America. "West Indies in Cuba, Hispaniola, Puer- 

 to Rico, St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Guade- 

 loupe, and Trinidad. Continental tropical Amer- 

 ica from southeni Mexico (Oaxaca) to Bolivia, 

 Argentina, Brazil, and Guianas. Also planted in 

 southern Florida. 



Other common xames. — pana cimarrona (Puer- 

 to Rico) ; morototo, mandioquiera (commerce) ; 

 palo de sable, sablito, yagrumo macho (Domini- 

 can Republic) ; zapaton, yagrumo macho, arriero, 

 gaviliin, badana, cordoban. padero, papayon 

 (Cuba) ; chancaro bianco, roble bianco (Mexico) ; 

 Costilla de danto (Nicaragua) ; pava, pavilla, 

 probado (Costa Rica) ; mangabe, gargoran, pava 

 (Panama) ; yarumero, yagrume (Colombia) ; ya- 

 grumo macho, orumo macho, sun-sun, higuerete, 

 tinajero (Venezuela) ; sacha-uva, anonillo (Peru) ; 

 guitarrero (Bolivia) ; ambay-guazu (Argentina) ; 

 matchwood, jereton (Triniclad) ; mountain trum- 

 pet (British Honduras) : karohoro, matchwood, 

 morototo (British Guiana) ; arbre de Saint -Jean 

 (French Guiana) : morototo, cassavehout, bigi 

 boesie, papajahoedoe, kasabahoedoe (Surinam) ; 

 morototo, mandioqueira, marupa, matatauba 

 (Brazil). 



428 



