MELASTOME FAMILY (MELASTOMATACEAE) 



Key to the 4 species illustrated (Nos. 196-199) 



A. Leaves broadly ovate, with 7 main veins from base, reddish tinged above, bristly hairy ; petioles and twigs with 

 sticky red hairs — 197. Hctcrotrichiim cymosum. 

 AA. Leaves narrow, elliptic to lance-shaped, with 3 or .5 main veins from base, hairless or soft hairy. 



B. Leaves mostly rounded at apex ; minute brown scales on ijetioles, blades, and young twigs — 196. Caly- 

 cogoniiim squamulosum. 

 BB. Leaves long- or short-pointed at apes ; not scaly. 



C. Leaves green on both surfaces, hairless or nearly so, edges finely wavy-toothed — 198. Miconia prasina. 

 CC. Leaves densely whitish hairy on lower surface ; petioles and young twigs light brown, finely scurfy hairy — 

 199. Tetrazygia elaeagnoldes. 



196. Jusillo 



This medium-sized tree, confined to the moun- 

 tains of Puerto Rico, is readily distinguished by : 

 (1) the erect, twigs frequently with clusters of 

 erect leaves on nearly horizontal branches; (2) the 

 opposite, elliptic, thick, yellow-green leaves with 

 3 main veins from base, the 2 lateral veins near the 

 turned under edges; (3) young twigs, petioles, 

 flower stalks, flowers and fruits covered with small 

 brown scales; and (4) the flowers more than % 

 inch long and broad and with 4 white petals, usu- 

 ally 3 together on a short stalk at base of leaf. 



An evergreen tree 3O-.50 feet high and to 1 foot 

 in trunk diameter, with spreading crown of nearly 

 horizontal branches and erect, leafy, brown or 

 gray twigs. The bark is brown or gray, smooth- 

 ish or si ightly fissured, the inner bark also bi-own 

 and almost tasteless. 



Petioles are 1/4-V2 i"ch long, and blades IVat^ 

 inches long and iA-li/4 inches broad, the apex 

 rounded or with a minute point, the base short- 

 pointed. The upper surface is yellow green to 

 green, slightly shiny, with inconspicuous minute 

 dotlike scales, and with sunken midrib, and the 

 lower surface paler yellow green aJid with minute 

 brown scales. 



Flowers are borne at the end of a cui'ved, brown, 

 scaly stalk about 14 ii^ch long. The tubular base 

 (hypanthium) and tubular 4-lobed calyx, both 

 scaly brown, together are about %6 inch long and 

 broad, angled and slightly flattened in the bud; 

 there are 4 spreading, white, reddish-tinged petals 

 1/4 inch long; 8 stamens; and pistil with inferior 

 i-celled ovary and slender style %6 inch long. 



Calycogonium squamulosum Cogn. 



The rounded berrylike fruit, with calyx remain- 

 ing attached, is .scaly brown, %h inch in diameter. 

 It contains numerous minute brown seeds about 

 1/32 inch long. Flowering mainly in summer and 

 fall (June to October), the fruit maturing in fall 

 and winter. 



The sajjwood is bright yellow. The attractive 

 hea.rtwood is pinkish brown to pale brown, with 

 widely spaced black streaks. The wood is hard, 

 lieavy (specific gravity 0.74) . strong, fine-textured, 

 with generally straight grain, and without growth 

 rings. Rate of air-seasoning and amount of de- 

 grade are moderate. Machining characteristics 

 are as follows : planing, sanding, and resistance 

 to screw splitting are poor; and shaping, turning, 

 boring, and mortising are good. The wood is very 

 susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites. It is 

 of doubtful durability in contact with the gi'ound, 

 and old forest trees are frequently decayed. 



Uses are posts and poles, though preservative 

 treatment is recommended. The wood seems suit- 

 able also for furniture, patternmaking, veneer and 

 plywood, farm implements, tool handles, heavy- 

 duty flooring, turnery, boat parts, vehicles frames, 

 heavy construction, and bridge timbers. 



In upper mountain forests in eastern and cen- 

 tral Puerto Rico. 



Public forests. — Carite, Guilaxte, Luquillo, 

 Toro Negro. 



Range. — Known only from Puerto Rico. 



Other commox names. — camasey jusillo, cama- 

 sey negro ( Puerto Rico) . 



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