MADDER FAMILY (RUBIACEAE) 



245. Cafeillo 



Small tree or shrub characterized by: (1) twigs 

 with pi-omineiit swollen nodes; (2) opposite nar- 

 rowly elliptic leaves long-pointed at both ends, 

 with paired pointed scales (stipules) at base; (3) 

 flowers 1/2 inch long with very nan-ow reddish or 

 pink tube and 4 or 5 white lobes, nearly stalkless in 

 lateral clusters scattered along tlie larger twigs to 

 14 inch in diameter mostly back of leaves; and 

 (4) rounded red or pink berries about % inch in 

 diameter. 



An evergreen spreading shrub or small tree to 20 

 feet high and 3 inches or more in trunk diameter, 

 hairless throughout. The dark brown bark is 

 smoothish, slightly fissured, or scaly. Inner bark 

 is light brown or pinkish and tasteless. Twigs are 

 gi-een, turning brown, with paired pointed sc^ales 

 (stipules) %-i/4 inch long at nodes. 



Green jjetioles 1/4-^/^ inch long support the blades 

 which are 3-71/0 inches long and 1-3 inches broad, 

 slightly thickened, the upper surface green or dark 

 green and slightly shiny, beneath light green. 



Flower clusters (corymbs) are composed of a 

 few fragrant flowers. The tubidar base (hypan- 

 thium) about Vie inch long bears a short red calyx 

 tube with 4 indistinct wavy teeth; the corolla has 

 a very narrow reddish or pink tube %-V2 inch long 

 and 1^2 inch in diameter and 4 or 5 broad, widely 

 spreading, white lobes Y^g inch across; there are 4 

 or 5 stamens at open end of tube; and the pistil 



Ixora ferrea (Jacq.) Benth. 



consists of inferior 2-celled ovary with slender 

 style and 2-Iobed stigma. 



The rounded berries are greenish or yellowish, 

 turning to red or pink, fleshy, and contain 2 dark 

 brown seeds %6 inch long. In flower and fruit at 

 dirt'erent times during the year. 



Tlie wood with light brown sapwood is hard, 

 heavy, sti-ong, and tough. Reported as used else- 

 where for fenceposts and in carpentry, but utiliza- 

 tion in Puerto Rico is limited to fuelwood by small 

 size of the trees. 



Common in understory of forests in the moist 

 limestone and lower mountain regions in Puerto 

 Rico. Also in St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. 



Public forests. — Guajataca, Luquillo, Rio 

 Abajo. 



R.ANGE. — Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and 

 Virgin Islands, and through Lesser Antilles from 

 St. Kitts and Montserrat to Grenada and Bar- 

 bados. Also reported from Venezuela and British 

 Guiana. 



Other common n.ames. — palo de dajao, palo de 

 hierro (Puerto Rico) ; dajao (Dominican Repub- 

 lic) ; cafe cimarron, cafetillo (Cuba) ; black 

 candlewood (Montserrat) ; bois crapaud (Domini- 

 ca) ; wild-coifee (St. Vincent) ; cafe marron 

 (Grenada) ; cafe grand bois (St. Lucia) ; bois de 

 fer rouge, bois jaune (Guadeloupe, Martinique). 



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