MANGOSTEEN FAMILY (GUTTIFERAE) 



165. Palo de cruz 



Palo de cruz is easily identified by its opposite, 

 elliptic or obovate, shiny dark ojeen leaves which 

 are small, thick and stiff, with sunken midrib, and 

 curved downward from the long-pointed base to 

 the long-pointed sharp spine Vs-Vi inch long. 

 Other distinguishing chai-act eristics are: (1) reg- 

 ular opposite branching of twigs at right angles 

 from the axis; (2) pale yellow latex in inner bark, 

 twigs, leaves, and fruits; (3) small, pale yellow, 

 pinkish-tinged flowers about i/t hich across, sev- 

 eral or 1 at leaf bases; and (4) bright yellow ellip- 

 tic berry 1-11/4 inches long. 



Cormnonly a small tree to 20 feet high (formerly 

 to 65 feet, according to earlier reports) and 4 

 inches in tiiink diameter, evergreen, with naiTow 

 crown of drooping or horizontal branches and 

 dark green foliage. The bark is brown and smooth 

 or slightly fissured. Inner bark is reddish, bitter, 

 with pale yellow latex in innennost part. The 

 twigs are green and slightly angled when young, 

 becoming gray and enlarged at nodes. 



The leaves have short, erect petioles V4-V2 i^ich 

 long and blades 1M>-314 inches long and %-2 

 inches broad. Margins are turned under slightly, 

 and the lower surface is light green. 



Lateral flowers on stalks about 1/4-% inch long 

 are bisexual and male and female on the same or 

 different trees (polygamous or dioecious). There 

 are 2 yellow-green sepals i/ir, inch long; 4 pale 

 yellow petals pinkish at base, Vs-Vt inch long; sta- 

 mens about 7-10 (about 18 stamens around a broad 



Rheedia portoricensis Urban 



whitish disk in male flowers) ; and pistil with 

 rounded pinkish 2-celled ovary less than % inch 

 long and 2-lobed flat stigma (sometimes ovary is 

 3-celled and stigma 3-lobed) . The fleshy fruits are 

 pointed and contain usually 2 large seeds. Flow- 

 ering and fruiting at different times during the 

 year. 



The sapwood is very light brown, and the heart- 

 wood light brown. The wood is very hard, heavy 

 (specific gravity 0.9) , and very fine-textured. Be- 

 cause of the small size of tliis tree its wood is used 

 only for posts. 



Forests of the lower Luquillo Mountain region 

 and thickets of the moist and dry coastal regions. 

 Also in Vieques. A handsome small tree of pos- 

 sible ornamental value. 



Public forests. — ^Carite, Luquillo, Susiia. 



Range. — Known only from Puerto Rico and 

 Vieques. 



Other common name. — guayabacoa (Puerto 

 Rico). 



Botanical synonym. — Rheedia actiminata 

 (Spreng.) Planch. & Tr., not R. acuminata (Ruiz 

 & Pa V. ) Planch. &Tr. 



The common name palo de cruz (tree of cross) 

 refei-s to the branching of twigs at right angles to 

 the straight axis in the shape of a cross. 



A second native species (Rheedia hessii Britton) 

 known only from near Maricao apparently is rare. 

 It has narrowly lance-shaped leaves less than 1 

 inch lonff. 



356 



