SPURGE FAMILY (EUPHORBIACEAE) 



121. Varital 



A small to mediuiii-sized imderstory tree char- 

 acterized by: (1) smooth whitish or light gray 

 bark ; (2) broadly lance-shaped, dark green leaves, 

 ;U/2-6 inches long and W^-i inches broad, abruptly 

 long- or short -pointed, usually widely spaced, in 

 2 rows on horizontal or slightly drooping twigs; 

 (3) small greenish flowers about %6 inch across 

 and % inch high, 1 to several at base of leaves, 

 the male and female flowers on different trees 

 (dioecious) ; and (4) whitish elliptic fleshy fruits 

 % inch long, borne along the branches at base 

 of leaves. 



An evergreen tree commonly lt)-30 fe«t high 

 and to 6 inches in trunk diameter, with spreading 

 branches, reported to reach larger size. The bark 

 has small warts (lenticels). The inner bark is 

 light brown or orange and slightly bitter. Young 

 twigs are green, minutely hairy, becoming gray. 



The alternate leaves have petioles %-% inch 

 long and blades often oblique at base, a little 

 thickened, not toothed on edges, slightly shiny 

 on upper surface, and paler beneath. 



Male flowers on short, hairy stalks less than 1/4 

 inch long have 4—5 yellow-green, minutely hairy, 

 spreading sepals, 6-8 spreading stamens, and a 

 broad lobed disk. Female flowers are single or 

 paired on short hairy stalks about % inch long, 

 with 4 greenish, slightly hairy sepals and pistil 



Drypetes glauca Vahl 



with hairy 1-celled ovary and broad stigma. The 

 fruits (drupes) are finely hairy or hairless and 

 1 -seeded. Flowering and fruiting from spring to 

 fall. 



The sapwood is whitish and hard. The wood is 

 used for charcoal and posts and in the Lesser 

 Antilles for construction. 



Widely distributed in the lower mountain re- 

 gions of Puerto Rico. Also reported long ago 

 from St. Croix. 



Public forests. — Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, 

 Maricao, Toro Negro. 



Range. — Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Lesser 

 Antilles from St. Kitts to St. Vincent. ( Reported 

 also from Jamaica, perhaps in error.) 



Other common names. — palo bianco, palo de 

 aceituna, cafeillo (Puerto Rico) ; bois caie, cafe 

 grand bois (Guadeloupe). 



Three additional species of this genus are trees 

 or shrubs. Hueso {Drypetes alia Poit.), known 

 also as palo de vaca and cafeillo, has smaller ellip- 

 tic whitish fruits less than % inch long. Cueri- 

 duroor Guianaplum (D. Jaterlfora (Sw.) Krug& 

 Urban), native also as far as southern Florida, 

 has rounded dark brown fruits i/4-y2 inch long. 

 Encinilla (/>. ilici folia Krug & Urban), known 

 only from northern Puerto Rico, has spiny toothed 

 oblong leaves and elliptic fruits about % inch long. 



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