MILKWORT FAMILY (POLYGALACEAE) 



117. Violeta, violet-tree 



Native only in Puerto Rico, violeta is well 

 known Ity the beautiful masses of violet-colored 

 rtowers about ■^'_i inch across, slifrhtly pea-shaped, 

 which cover the tree from February to March or 

 April, (renerally wlien leatless. Other distinguish- 

 ing chai-actersare: (1) the elliptic yellow-green 

 leaves '2-5 inches long, slightly thickened and 

 leathery, with a peculiar arrangement of many 

 nearly parallel, slightlv raised, thin, lateral veins; 

 and (2) fruit a flattened capsule IVi-li^ inches 

 long, with L' rounded wings, 1 large and 1 small. 



A small to medium-sized deciduous tree 15-40 

 feet tall with trunk 4-S inches in diameter, rarely 

 to 65 feet in height and to '2 feet in diameter. The 

 gi-ay bark is smoothish to slightly fissured, inner 

 bark light brown and bitter. The slender, light 

 green twigs are minutely hairy when young. 



The leaves are alternate on short petioles 1/47% 

 inch long. Leaf blades are 1-2^2 inches wide, 

 short-pointed to rounded at both ends, slightly 

 turned under at edges, shiny above and dull be- 

 neath. 



The flowers appear in profusion when the trees 

 are leafless or before the old leaves are shed, borne 

 on slender stalks in short lateral clusters (ra- 

 cemes). Both calyx and corolla are violet. There 

 are 3 small sepals Vs-^e i»ch long and 2 large 

 elliptic sepals (wings) %6 i"ch long; usually 3 

 unequal petals about %6 i"cli long, the central 

 petal keeled and enclosing the stamen tube, and 

 sometimes 2 additional petals i/g inch long; 8 

 stamens nearly 1/4 inch long, united into a split 

 whitish tube; and pistil consisting of green 



Polygala cowellii (Britton) Blake 



rounded 2-celled ovary i/ie inch long and curved 

 style 5^8 inch long. 



The seed capsule has a large curved or rounded 

 wing I14-IV2 inches long on 1 side and a small 

 wing 1/2 inch long on the other and contains 1 or 

 sometimes 2 hairy seeds s/ie "^^h long, maturing in 

 March or April. 



The yellow or light brown wood is hard and is 

 little used. 



The trees are worthy of cultivation as orna- 

 mentals for the very showy flowei's. They are evi- 

 dently slow growing. 



In forests of hillsides and arroyos, mostly in the 

 southern coastal region but scattered also through 

 the moist limestone and lower Cordillera regions 

 of Puerto Rico. Rare on the limestone hills of the 

 northern coast near Toa Baja, Vega Baja, and 

 Arecibo. 



Public forest. — Guanica. 



Range. — Known only from Puerto Rico. 



Other common names. — arbol de violeta, palo 

 de violeta, palo de tortuga. tortuguero (Puerto 

 Rico) ; Puerto Rican violet-tree (English). 



Botanical synonym. — Phlebotaenia cowellii 

 Britton. 



The scientific name honors John Francis Cowell 

 (1852-1915), director of the Botanical Garden of 

 Bufi'alo, New York, who aided in collecting at 

 Coamo Springs the botanical specimens from 

 which this species was described. 



Trees are unusual in this genus. The 4 other 

 Puerto Rican species are herbs. 



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