BUCKTHORN FAMILY (RHAMNACEAE) 



146. Mabi, soldierwood 



This small tree or shrub of dry areas is charac- 

 terized by: (1) finely hairy brown twigs; (2) thin, 

 elliptic leaves 1-3 inches long and V2-IV2 inches 

 broad, short-pointed at apex and rounded at base, 

 with the lateral veins curved and prolonged near 

 margins, green and hairless on upper surface, and 

 pale green and minutely hairy beneath; (3) the 

 small, spreading greenish 5-parted flowers nearly 

 %6 i'lch across, several in almost stalkless clusters 

 at bases of leaves; and (4) the rounded, slightly 

 3-angled, reddish-brown seed capsules 14 inch in 

 diameter, 3-seeded. 



Evergreen, usually 10-15 feet high and less than 

 4 inches in trunk diameter, with spreading crown 

 of thin foliage. The orange-brown Ibark is 

 smoothish on small trunks but becomes fissured, 

 s])litting off in thin scales. Inner bark is light 

 brown and bitter. The twigs are slender. 



The alternate leaves have haii-y petioles 1/4-1/2 

 inch long. The blades coirmionly have 2 brown 

 gland dots on the margin near base. 



Flower clusters about 14 inch across, hairy. 

 Each flower has a short cuplike base (hypanthium) 

 on which are borne 5 spreading, pointed, greenish 

 sepals more than Vig inch long, hairy on outside, 

 and 5 smaller, narrow, yellow petals folded around 

 the 5 opposite stamens; the pistil has a 3-celled 

 ovary covered by the broad disk but with style and 

 3 stigmas protruding. 



Colubrina reclinata (L'Her.) Brongn. 



Seed capsules have a cuplike base (hypanthium) 

 in lowest third and split apart fi-om the base to 

 release the shiny brownish-black elliptic seeds %6 

 inch long. In flower from July to November and 

 in fruit from July to January. 



The sapwood is light brown, and the heartwood 

 dark brown. The wood is hard, heavy (specific 

 gravity 0.8), strong, and reported to be durable. 

 It is used only for posts in Puerto Rico. 



From the bark is produced the popular fer- 

 mented drink "mabi." Elsewhere decoctions from 

 the bitter bark and the leaves have been used in 

 local medicines. The plants have been grown as 

 ornamentals in southern Florida. 



Thickets and woods in the dry coastal and dry 

 limestone regions of southwestern Puerto Rico. 

 Also in Culebra, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, 

 Tortola, and Anegada. 



Public forest. — Guanica. 



Range. — Southern Florida including Florida 

 Keys, Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and Lesser 

 Antilles south to St. Vincent. Also in southern 

 Mexico (Veracruz and Yucatan) and Guatemala. 



Other common names. — palo amargo, mabi 

 (Dominican Republic) ; jayajabico, carbonero de 

 costa, carbonero (Cuba) ; soldiei-wood, naked- wood 

 (United States) ; smooth snake-bark (Bahamas) ; 

 bois mabi, bois de fer (Haiti) ; bois mabi, mambee 

 (Guadeloupe). 



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