BLADDERNUT FAMILY (STAPHYLEACEAE) 



137. Sauco cimarron 



This small or medium-sized tree is character- 

 ized by: (1) opposite pinnat« leaves with 5-11 el- 

 liptic or ovate leaflets also paired except for the 

 terminal one, the edges minutely saw-toothed; (2) 

 numerous small 5-pai-ted greenish-white flowers 

 about 1/4 inch across in a large broad, branched, 

 terminal cluster; and (3) nearly round or slightly 

 3-lobed fruits Vo-^ inch in diameter, mostly on 

 long, slender, spreading stalks. 



An evergreen tree commonly less than 30 feet 

 high and 6 inches in trunk diameter with an open 

 crown, hairless throughout except for young twigs 

 and young leaves. The gray bark is much fissured 

 and thin. Inner bark is brown and almost taste- 

 less. The brown twigs are stout and slightly 

 fissured. 



The leaves, 5-10 inches long, have a slender 

 light green or pinkish-tinged axis, and the leaflets 

 have short stalks 1/3-% inch long. Leaflet blades 

 are li/^-4 inches long and y2-^% inches broad, 

 mostly short-pointed at apex and rounded or 

 short-pointed at base, the saw-toothed edges often 

 wa^'y, thin or very slightly thickened, gi^een and 

 often shiny on upper surface, light green beneath. 



Flower clusters (panicles) are mostly 6-12 

 inches long and nearly as broad and have long, 

 slender, horizontally spreading, light green 

 branches bearing many short-stalked fragrant 

 flowers. The calyx consists of 5 light gi-een im- 

 equal elliptic sepals less than i/g inch long, remain- 



Turpinia paniculata Vent. 



ing on fruit ; there are 5 white rounded petals more 

 than % inch long; 5 whitish stamens i/g inch long; 

 and pistil 14 inch long on a lobed disk with 3- 

 lobed, 3-celled ovary and 3 united styles which 

 often remain on the fiiiit as points or hooks. 



The rounded fruits are broader than long and 

 slightly 3-angled, turning from green to brown, 

 dry but not splitting open, 3-celled. There are 

 3-6 shiny light brown elliptic seeds 14 inch long. 

 Flowering chiefly in spring (Febi-uary to June), 

 the fniits maturing in summer and fall (July to 

 October) . 



The sapwood is whitish and hard. The heart- 

 wood is moderately resistant to attack by dry- 

 wood termites. Reported to be brittle, the wood 

 is used only for fuel. 



Lower and upper mountain forests of Puerto 

 Rico, ascending to summits of peaks. Also in 

 Tortola. 



Public forests. — Carite, Guajataca, Guilarte, 

 Luquillo, Maricao, Toro Negro. 



]\IUNICIP.\L1TY WHERE ESPECIALLY COMMON. 10. 



Range. — Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and 

 Tortola. Also from southern Mexico and Guate- 

 mala to Panama. 



Other common names. — sauquillo, lilayo, eu- 

 genio (Puerto Rico) ; cedro hembra (Dominican 

 Republic) ; saiico cimarron, roble giiira, serrucho 

 (Cuba) ; cedrillo (El Salvador) ; cajeta, tinta 

 (Guatemala). 



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