OLIVE FAMILY (OLEACEAE) 



216. Hueso bianco 



This small to medium-sized tree is characterized 

 by: (1) an erect trunk which is usually deeply 

 fluted near the base and covered with whitish bark ; 

 (2) opposite, narrowly elliptic, slig^htly leathery, 

 pale green leaves 3-6 inches long and 1-2 inches 

 broad, very long-pointed at the base, slender- 

 stalked; (3) flowers with 4 very narrow white 

 petals about 3^ inch long; and (4) slightly egg- 

 shaped and bonelike white fruits about % inch 

 long, with thin bitter flesh and 1 large stone, sev- 

 eral in clusters and sometimes produced in large 

 quantities. 



An evergreen tree 15-60 feet high and to 1 foot 

 in trunk diameter, with spreading crown. The 

 bark is smoothish and thin. Inner bark is light 

 brown, bitter, and slightly gritty. Twigs light 

 gray, with prominent, nearly romid, raised leaf 

 scars. 



The leaves have petioles iA-1 inch long. Blades 

 are not toothed on edges but sometimes slightly 

 wrinkled, green to yellow green and hairless on 

 upper surface, paler and with minute tufts of hairs 

 along midrib on lower surface. 



The branched flower clusters (panicles) are ter- 

 minal and lateral, 3 inches or less in length and 

 width, at the end of long stalks or nearly stalkless, 

 bearing many flowers 2 or 3 together at the end of 

 slender branches. Calyx cup-shaped, more than 

 YiQ inch long, 4-toothed, nearly hairless or with 

 minute hairs around edges; the 4 very narrow 

 white petals % inch or less in length and only 

 Vie inch wide but slightly thickened and fleshy; 

 the 2 stamens Via inch long borne at base of petals; 

 and pistil less than i/y inch long with 2-celled 

 ovaiy, short style, and stigma. 



The fruits (drupes) are about % inch broad and 

 1/^ inch thick, blunt-pointed, green when immature. 

 The stone is angled and grooved. Sometimes the 

 fruits are so numerous and heavy that they bend 

 over the branches. Flowering from winter to sum- 

 mer, the fruits maturing from spring to fall. 



The wood with light brown sapwood is hard, 

 heavy (specific gravity 0.9), and reported to be 

 dui-able. Used chiefly for posts in Puerto Rico, 

 since it is not available in sufficient quantities or 



Linociera domingensis (Lam.) Knobl. 



large enough for other purposes. It takes a fine 

 polish and has been made into ornamental objects 

 and curiosities. 



In the coastal, limestone, and lower mountain 

 forests of Puerto Rico. Also St. Croi.x. 



Public forests. — Cambalache, Carite, Guilarte, 

 Luquillo, Maricao, Susua, Toro Negro. 



Range. — Cuba, .Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puer- 

 to Rico. Also in British Honduras and Guatemala. 



Other common names. — palo de hueso, huesillo 

 (Puerto Rica) ; brojo (St. Croix) ; lirio, tarana 

 (Dominican Republic) ; caney, huesillo, hueso, 

 bayito, guaney (Cuba) ; white rosewood, ironwood 

 (Jamaica) ; pine-ridge ironwood (British Hon- 

 duras) ; cayepon (Haiti). 



Botanical synonym. — Mnyepea domingensis 

 ( Lam. ) Krug & L^rban. 



This genus has 3 more species of small trees in 

 Puerto Rico. Avispillo (Linociera caribaea 

 (Jacq.) Knobl.; 'synonym Mayepea caribaea 

 (.Jacq.) Kuntze) is native in eastern Puerto Rico, 

 Culelira, Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and other 

 islands to Venezuela. It has leaves with shorter 

 petioles less than % inch long and lateral flower 

 clusters with several flowers. 



The other 2 species have thicker, leathery leaves. 

 Linociera axiUi flora Griseb. {Mayepea axilli'flora 

 (Griseb. ) Krug & Urban), collected near Guanica 

 and also west to Cuba, has oblong or elliptic leaves 

 11/4-2^4 inches long with petioles y^ inch long; 

 short, lateral flower clusters about V^ inch long 

 with few flowers about I/4 inch long; and fruits 

 about 1/4 inch long. 



Linociera holdridgii Camp & Monachino, a small 

 tree known only from dry forests of southwestern 

 Puerto Rico, was first collected in 1938 by Leslie 

 R. Holdridge, formerly of the LTnited States 

 Forest Service, and was named in 1939. It has 

 elliptic leaves about 2 inches long and 1-11/4 inches 

 wide, shiny on both sides, often hairy in vein 

 angles beneath, with petioles less than i/4 inch 

 long; lateral flower clusters i/^-l inch long with 

 few flowers about 3/^ inch long; and black fruits 

 about 1/4 inch long. 



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