ColonibiM, Venezuela, and Guianas. Planted as an 

 ornamental in southern Florida. 



Other common names. — yagrumo, llagrumo, 

 grayumo henibra (Puerto Rico) ; tnnnpet-wood 

 (Virgin Islands) ; yaorumo, yagrumo hembra 

 (Dominican Republic) ; yagruma, yagruma hem- 

 bra (Cul)a) ; guarumo (Guatemala, Costa Rica, 

 Colombia) ; igarata (Guatemala) ; trumpet -tree, 

 trumpet-wood, pumpwood, snakewood (United 

 States, English) ; sliield-shaped trumpet-ti-ee 

 (United States) ; pop-a-gun (Barbados) ; bois 

 canon (Trinidad) ; wanasoro, congo-pump (Brit- 



isli Guiana) ; bois trompette (Haiti, Guadeloupe) ; 

 bois canon (Guadeloupe, Martinique) ;wildpapaw 

 (Dutcli West Indies) ; bospapaja (Surinam). 



Botanical synonym. — Cecropla asperritna 

 Pittier. 



English and French common names refer to the 

 use of tlie hollow branches for tnnnpets or other 

 musical instruments. Also, children sometimes 

 make flutes from the hollow petioles. 



An unrehited tree of generally similar appear- 

 ance is yagrumo macho {Didymopanax nioro- 

 totoni (Aubl.) Decne. &P1.). 



MULBERRY FAMILY (MORACEAE) 



21. Palo de goma, India-rubber fig 



Occasionally planted in Puerto Rico for orna- 

 ment and shade, this handsome spreading tree is 

 characterized by: (1) an extensive superficial root 

 system and numerous aerial roots about the trunk; 

 (2) abundant milky juice or white latex; (?>) 

 large, leathery, oblong or elliptic, sliiny green 

 leaves 4-1:2 inches long and 2-1^ inches broad, tliick 

 and stifl", abruptly short-pointed at apex, rounded 

 at base, and with sides bent upward at midrib; (4) 

 numerous straiglit, parallel, lateral veins very 

 close together on each side of the midrib and near- 

 ly at right angles to it; and (5) oblong greenish- 

 yellow figlike fruits about V^ inch long, paired and 

 stalkless at base of leaves. 



A medium-sized to large evergreen tree to 60 

 feet in height and 3 feet in trunk diameter. In 

 India, its native home, it becomes 100 feet tall with 

 a giant fluted trunk, often buttressed at base and 

 with long surface roots. The bark is light gray, 

 smoothish with small horizontal ridges, and thick. 

 Inner bark is reddish and bitter. The crown of 

 long branches provides dense shade. The stout 

 twigs have faint rings at the nodes. A large, 

 showy, long-pointed, reddish sheath or scale 

 (stipule) 1-2 inches or more in length forms the 

 outside of the bud and covers each new leaf. 



The alternate leaves have stout petioles %-lV^ 

 inches long. Leaf blades are lighter colored be- 

 neath and much larger on young shoots than on 

 others, not toothed on edges. There is a variation 

 with yellow variegated leaves. 



The elliptic multiple fruits (syconia) are 

 covered with a sheath when young that sheds, leav- 

 ing a basal cup. There is a ring and slight pointed 

 opening at apex. Many tiny male and female 

 flowers (monoecious) and seeds are boi-ne inside 

 the slightly fleshy fruits, which are eaten by birds 



Ficus elastica Nois.* 



and sometimes by children. Fruiting probably 

 througli the year. 



The sap wood is whitish and moderately hard. 

 The wood is little used in Puerto Rico. In native 

 forests and extensive plantations of India this 

 species was the original commercial source of rub- 

 ber. However, India rubber has been replaced by 

 Para rubber (Ilevea) from Brazil, which pro- 

 duces higher yields and at an earlier age in planta- 

 tions. 



Propagated by cuttings or layers and adapted to 

 moist regions, where it grows rapidly. However, 

 tlie many liorizontal roots on top of the ground 

 may be objectionable in street planting. It is re- 

 ported that the large heavy limbs are easily broken 

 by wind. "Where native, the plants usually start as 

 air plants (epiphytes) from seeds germinating on 

 other trees, sending down aerial roots to the 

 ground and afterwards strangling and killing the 

 supporting trees. 



Planted for ornament and shade along streets 

 and in parks and gardens in Puerto Rico and 

 Virgin Islands. 



Range. — Native of tropical Asia from India to 

 Malaya. Widely cultivated in tropical regions, 

 sometimes escaping, and as a potted ornamental 

 in temperate regions. Planted in southern Flor- 

 ida, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Virgin 

 Islands, Guadeloupe, and Dutch West Indies. 

 Also from Mexico to South America. 



Other common names. — caucho, higuera (Do- 

 minican Republic) ; goma elastica, caucho (Cuba) ; 

 amate, hule (El Salvador); caucho de la India 

 (Colombia) ; India-rubber fig, India rubber-plant, 

 India rubber-tree, rubber-plant (United States, 

 English) ; caoutchouc (Haiti). 



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