55. Palo bobo 



BRUNELLIA FAMILY (BRUNELLIACEAE) 



Brunellia comocladifolia Humb. & Bonpl. 



This distinctive small to medium-sized tree of 

 mountain forests, the only West Indian represen- 

 tative of its small family, is recognized by: (1) 

 the opposite pinnate leaves; (2) 11-15 (sometimes 

 to 23) oblong, lance-shaped, long-pointed leaflets 

 2-5 inches long and 1-1 ^4 inches broad, with saw- 

 toothed edges, also paired except at end; (3) stout 

 greenish twigs with rings at nodes, finely rusty- 

 brown hairy, as are the leaf axes and flower clus- 

 ters. 



An evergreen tree attaining 15-25 feet in height 

 and to 6 inches in trunk diameter, with thin, open, 

 spreading crown. Bark on small trunks is smooth- 

 ish and gray, Inner bark is light brown and 

 slightly bitter. 



The leaves are 6-15 inches long. Leaflets are 

 almost stalkless, rounded and oblique at base. The 

 upper surface is green and almost hairless, and the 

 lower surface gray green and finely hairy and with 

 raised rusty-brown hairy veins. 



Flower clusters (panicles) are lateral, branched, 

 and 2-5 inches long and broad. The mnnerous 

 short-stalked small flowei-s about %6 inch long and 

 broad are greenish yellow, some flowers containing 

 both sexes and also male and female on diii'erent 



trees ( polygamous ) . The calyx is deeply divided, 

 with 5 pointed lobes about i/g inch long, rusty- 



-12, 1/8-3/16 



brown hairy; corolla none; stamens 

 inch long, inserted at base of a lobed disk ; pistils 

 5, separate, \'^ inch long, hairy, each with 1-celled 

 ovary, style, and stigma. 



The fruits are star-shaped, 14 inch across, of 5 

 or fewer podlike parts (follicles) each about %6 

 inch long, bristly, rasty-brown hairy, splitting 

 open, and containing 1 or 2 brown seeds. Flowers 

 are formed in spring and summer, and fruits ma- 

 ture in summer. 



The wood is light brown, hard, and lightweight 

 (specific gravity 0.3). Used only for fuel in 

 Puei'to Rico. 



Forests of the upper Cordillera region of Puerto 

 Rico, up to 4,000 feet elevation or higher. 



Public forests. — Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, 

 Maricao, Toro Negro. 



Range. — Greater Antilles, Guadeloupe, and 

 Venezuela and Colombia. 



Other common names. — cabra (Puerto Rico) ; 

 guasima de pinares (Cuba) ; yuco rinon, berraco, 

 jobo macho de tierra fria (Colombia) ; West- 

 Indian-sumac (Jamaica), bois Mabel (Haiti). 



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