VERBENA FAMILY (VERBENACEAE) 



227. Pendula, pasture fiddlewood, Florida fiddlewood 



Citharexylum fruticosum L. 



This small tree is easily recognized by: (1) op- 

 posite, mostly elliptic, yellow-green leaves with 

 conspicuous pinlv or orange petioles; (2) narrow 

 clusters of small fragrant white flowers nearly % 

 inch across the 5 slightly unequal spreading corol- 

 la lobes, borne almost stalkless on narrow droop- 

 ing axes; (3) nearly round, shiny, reddish-brown 

 or black fruits % inch or less in diameter; and 

 (4) rough, light brown bark, becoming much fis- 

 sured and shredding in long narrow strips. 



Evergreen shrub or small slender tree 10^0 feet 

 in height and to 1 foot in trunk diameter. The in- 

 ner bark is whitish and tasteless. Young twigs are 

 4-angled and with faint rings at nodes, slender, 

 light brown or green, becoming gray and finely fis- 

 sured. 



Petioles are 1/2-1 inch long. Leaf blades are 3-7 

 inches long and 1-21/^ inches broad, short- or long- 

 pointed at both ends or sometimes rounded or 

 notched at apex, the edges rarely toothed on young 

 shoots, thick and leathery, sometimes hairy on 

 veins beneath, shiny yellow green on upper surface 

 and dull beneath, turning red before falling. 

 They vary greatly in shape from lance-shaped to 

 elliptic or obovate and when dry show a raised 

 network of small veins on both sides. The midrib 

 often is pinkish toward base. 



Flower clusters (racemes) are 2-12 inches long, 

 lateral and terminal, unbranched, bearing many 

 white flowers about % inch long. The pale green 

 calyx is narrowly tubular, ^g inch long, mostly 

 5-toothed, hairless or hairy; the white tubular 5- 

 lobed corolla nearly % inch long, hairy at throat ; 

 4 stamens inserted on corolla tube; and pistil with 

 4-celled green ovary, slender style, and slightly 2- 

 lobed stigma. 



The drooping clusters of the fleshy fruits 

 (dru])es), sometimes abundant, are reported to be 

 sweet and edible. Each has a stone which sepa- 

 rates into 2 2-seeded nutlets. Flowering and f rait- 

 ing through the year. 



The sapwood is light brown and thin, and the 

 heartwood is reddish. The wood is very hard. 



heavy (specific gravity 0.7), and strong. Consid- 

 ered a good fencepost in Puerto Rico. The wood 

 of this and related species has been used elsewhere 

 for furniture, construction, and violins, guitars, 

 and other musical instruments. 



Sometimes planted along highways and fences 

 and in gardens as an ornamental. Also a honey 

 plant. This species is subject to attacks by cater- 

 pillars which fasten the leaves together in bundles 

 and cause leaf fall, reducing the value for orna- 

 ment. 



In thickets and forests of the coastal, limestone, 

 and lower mountain regions of Puerto Rico. Also 

 in Desecheo, Icacos, Culebra, Vieques, St. Croix, 

 St. Thomas, St. John, To"rtola, and Virgin Gorda. 



Public forests. — Aguirre, Cambalaciie, Carite, 

 Guajataca, Guanica, Luquillo, Maricao, Rio 

 Abajo, Susiia. 



JMuNICIPALmES WHERE ESPECIALLY CX)MMON. — 



21, 31, 32, 36, 42, 66, 69. 



Range. — Central and southern Florida includ- 

 ing Florida Keys and through West Indies from 

 Bahamas and Cuba to St. Vnicentj Grenada, and 

 Trinidad. Also Venezuela to Surinam in north- 

 ern South America. Widely planted for ornament. 



Other common names. — palo de guitarra, 

 balsamo (Puerto Rico); susanaleche (Virgin 

 Islands) ; cafe cimarron, penda, pendula (Domini- 

 can Republic) ; penda, canilla de venado, guayo 

 bianco (Cuba) ; Florida fiddlewood, fiddlewood 

 (United States); spicate fiddlewood, long-tom 

 (Bahamas) ; fiddlewood (Jamaica, St. Vincent, 

 Trinidad). 



Minor botanical varieties differing cliiefly in 

 hairiness and leaf shape have been distinguished 

 outside Puerto Rico. 



A related tree species of pendula {Citharexylv/m 

 sphwsum L.), known also as susana, is wild and 

 planted in St. Croix and St. Thomas and ranges 

 southward to northern South America. It has 

 elliptic leaves 3-8 inches long, thin, hairless, and 

 with prominent network of small veins when dry, 

 and oblong shiny black fruits % inch long. 



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