LAUREL FAMILY (LAURACEAE) 



47. Laurel espada 



Characters distinjriiishing this species are: (1) 

 long branches spreading outward from the trunk: 

 (2) twigs, bark, and leaves spicy; (3) the bmce- 

 sliaped or elliptic shiny dark green leaves 2-5i/^ 

 inches long and i/4-2i^ inches broad, slightly 

 leathery, with long-pointed blunt apex and short- 

 pointed base; (4) midrib and main luteral veins 

 commonly yellowish white; (5) branched clusters 

 of many small greenish-white flowers y^ inch 

 across in lateral branched clusters; a:id (6) 

 rounded or elliptic black fruits V2 ii^ch long with 

 very short, flat, double-margined cup bearing the 

 calyx lobes turned back. 



Small to medium-sized evergreen tree to 60 feet 

 tall and 1 foot in trunk diameter. The light brown 

 bark is smoothish; the inner bark also light brown, 

 gritty and spicy to the taste. Twigs are green, 

 S])arsely hairy when young. 



The alternate leaves have petioles %-% inch 

 long. I^af blades are not toothed on edges. The 

 lower surface of some is dull light green and 

 slightly hairy on midrib and veins. 



Flower clusters (panicles) at leaf bases are 1—4 

 inches long, with finely haii-y branches. The 

 short-stalked hairy flowers are male and female 

 on ditl'erent trees (dioecious), the calyx with 6 



Ocotea floribunda (Sw.) Mez 



spreading greenish-white lobes less than % inch 

 long. Male flowers have 9 stamens and a rudimen- 

 tary pistil. Female flowers have small sterile 

 stamens (staminodes) and pistil with 1-celled 

 ovary partly enclosed, style, and broad flat stigma. 

 The fleshy fruits (berries) have 1 rounded brown 

 seed % inch in diameter. Flowering from October 

 to December and maturing fruits from February 

 to July. 



The wood is described as rose white, light- 

 weight, and easily worked. It is used mostly for 

 ])osts and fuel and occasionally as lumber in farm 

 buildings in Puerto Rico. In Cuba it is employed 

 for interiors in rural construction. 



Forests of the lower mountain regions of Puerto 

 Rico. Also in St. John and Tortola. 



Pi'HLic FORESTS. — Carite, Guajataca, Luquillo, 

 Rio Abajo. 



Range. — (ireater Antilles, St. John, Tortola, 

 Lesser Antilles from Guadeloupe to Grenada, and 

 Trinidad. Also in Venezuela and Guianas. 



Otiiei; comjiox names. — laurel (Puerto Rico) : 

 laurel, laurel bianco (Dominican Republic) ; boni- 

 ato laurel, lebisa (Cuba) ; black sweetwood, black 

 candlewood (Jamaica) ; laurier puant (Haiti) : 

 bois doux (Guadeloupe). 



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