SABIA FAMILY (SABIACEAE) 



144. Aguacatillo 



A medium-sized tree of mountain forests char- 

 acterized by: (1) petioles with an enhirgement at 

 base and %-!% inches long; (2) dark green ellip- 

 tic leaves mostly broadest beyond the middle, 3-8 

 (sometimes 10) inches long and ly2-3l^ (some- 

 times 4) inches wide, short-pointed or blunt at 

 apex, short-pointed at base, edges not toothed ex- 

 cept on young plants; (3) veiy numerous minute 

 white 5-parted flowers less than % inch long and 

 broad in much-branched clusters; and (4) few to 

 many nearly round fniits %-% inch long, dark 

 brown, violet, or black, and fleshy. 



An evergreen tree reaching 30-60 feet in height 

 and 2 feet in trunk diameter. The bark is smooth- 

 ish but slightly warty, gray, and thin, becoming 

 fissured on large trunks. Inner bark is brownish 

 and bitter. The gray twigs, hairless except when 

 young, have scattered reddish-brown, corky warts 

 (lenticels) Vs i"cli or less in length. 



The leaves are alternate, with the few lateral 

 veins sunken, slightly shiny on both sides, and 

 paler beneath. Young plants produce larger 

 leaves. 



The branches! flower clusters (panicles) are ter- 

 minal and lateral, 2-8 inches long and broad, and 

 minutely hairy. The flowers have a few minute, 

 luiiry, overlapping scales at base. There are 5 

 rounded overlapping sepals i/ie inch long, with 

 hairy border, remaining attached at base of fruit; 

 petals 5, white, the out^r 3 larger and more than 

 Vie inch long and 2 small narrow scales; 5 stamens 

 opposite the petals and united with them at base, 

 2 fertile stamens opposite the small petals and 3 

 sterile (staminodes) ; and pistil with ovan', style, 

 and 2 minute stigmas. 



Fniits (drapes) are light green when inomature, 

 nearly round but longer than broad, have a large 

 1 -seeded stone, and remain attached for sometime. 



Meliosma herbertii Rolfe 



Flowering and fruiting nearly through the year. 



The sapwood is light brown, and the attractive 

 heartwood light brown with darker streaks and 

 often an attractive orange overcast. The wood is 

 moderately heavy (specific gravity 0.42), firm, 

 tough, with moderately coarse texture, straight to 

 frequently interloclced grain, and faint growth 

 rings. It is low in durability and vei-y susceptible 

 to attack by diy-wood termites. The rate of air- 

 seasoning is moderate, but the amount of degi-ade 

 is considerable. Machining characteristics are as 

 follows : planing and resistance to screw splitting 

 are excellent; .shaping, turning, boring, and mor- 

 tising are poor; and sanding is good. 



Few trees become large enough for commercial 

 timter. Uses elsewhere include construction and 

 carpenti-y. Though difficult to work, the wood is 

 suitable also for furniture, cabinetwork, paneling, 

 interior trim, and boxes and crates. 



Forests of the lower mountain regions of Puerto 

 Rico. Also in Tortola. 



PiTBLic FORESTS. — Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, 

 Toro Negro. 



Range. — Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Tortola, 

 and Lesser Antilles from St. Kitts to Grenada. 

 Also in northeastern Venezuela. 



Other common names. — arroyo, cacaillo, cacao 

 bobo (Puerto Rico) ; cacao cimarron, cacao bobo 

 (Dominican Republic); gross grain (Grenada); 

 bois violet, graines violettes, graines vertes 

 (Guadeloupe) ; wild cocoa (Trinidad). 



Arroyo {Meliosma ohhisifoUa (Bello) Krug & 

 Urban) is a related, less common tree species 

 known only from mountain forests of Puerto Rico. 

 It has leaves rounded at apex and smaller nearly 

 round fruits about % inch in diameter. Other 

 common names are cacaillo, cerrillo, ciralillo, and 

 guayarote. 



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