149. Motillo 



ELAEOCARPUS FAMILY (ELAEOCARPACEAE) 



Sloanea berteriana Choisy 



A large tree of mountain forests, recognized by : 



(1) the mostly large elliptic leaves 6-18 inches 

 long and 3-S inclies broad, short-pointed at both 

 ends and the petioles with a swelling at each end: 



(2) the pale yellow widely spreading flowers 

 %-% inch across, 4- or 5-parted, several in lateral 

 clusters; (3) the elliptic brown seed capsules II/4 

 inches long, hard and thick-walled, splitting usu- 

 ally into 4 parts and commonly present on ground 

 under trees; and (4) pronounced buttresses at the 

 base of the trunk. 



This evergreen tree becomes 100 feet tall, with 

 a straight trunk 2-3 feet in diameter. The smooth- 

 ish dark gray bark lias reddish-brown warts about 

 14 inch long and broad. Inner bark is light 

 brown, with slightly bitter gritty taste. The 

 brown twigs are finely haii'>' when young. 



The alternate leaves have stout petioles i/2""3V2 

 inches long, green turning brownish. Leaf blades 

 vary gi'eatly in size and are thin or slightly thick- 

 ened, without marginal teeth, nearly hairless, dark 

 green and with slightly sunken veins on upper sur- 

 face, and green beneath. 



Flower clusters (racemes) are unbranched, 2 

 inches or less in length, with several flowers on 

 slender, finely hairy stalks V2-% inch long. There 

 are 4 or 5 pale yellow, pointed, finely haii-y sepals 

 Vi-YiG inch long; no petals; numerous hairy sta- 

 mens 1/4 inch or less in length, attached on a broad 

 disk; and the hairy pistil I/4 inch long, consisting 

 of 4- or sometimes 3-c«lled ovary, style, and 4 or 

 sometimes 3 stigmas. 



The 4-])arted seed capsules, inconspicuously fine 

 hairy, hard and with walls %6 inch thick, release 

 a few rounded or elliptic seeds about 14 inch long. 

 Flowering chiefly from spring to fall, with fruits 

 nearly through the year. 



The sapwood is yellowish brown, and the heart- 

 wootl multicolored, varying from yellow brown to 

 pinkish brown or dark brown, sometimes with 



darker bi-own stripes. The wood is very hard, 

 heavy (specific gravity 0.80) , strong, and medium- 

 textured, and has gro\\1:h rings and irregular 

 gi-ain. It is considered hard on tools, is classsed 

 as durable, and is susceptible to attack by dry- 

 wood termites. Its rate of air-seasoning and 

 amount of degrade are moderate. Machining 

 characteristics are as follows: planing, turning, 

 mortising, and sanding are good ; shaping and bor- 

 ing are excellent; and resistance to screw splitting 

 is poor. 



In Puerto Rico the wood has been used sparing- 

 ly for furniture and also in local construction and 

 for crossties. Lacking attractiveness and unifonn 

 color for furniture and cabinetwork, it is suitable 

 for heavy construction, fann implement parts, 

 handles, heavy-duty flooring, and boat parts. 



Forests of the lower mountain regions of Puerto 

 Rico. A dominant tree m the rain forest, usually 

 growing in the moist ra\'ines and becoming an 

 emergent tree in the upper story of the forest. 



Public forests. — Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, 

 Toro Negi'o. 



Range. — Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Lesser 

 Antilles from St. Kitts to Martinique. 



Other common" names. — cacao motillo, cacaillo, 

 cacao roseta, cacaotillo, roseta (Puerto Rico) ; ca- 

 cao cimarron (Dominican Republic) ; petit coco, 

 chataignier petit coco, cocoyer (Guadeloupe, 

 Martinique). 



Another species (Sloanea amygdalina Griseb.) 

 is rare in the mountain forest at Maricao Forest in 

 the western Cordillera. This tree has smaller el- 

 liptic leaves with blades 21/2-6 inches long, blunt 

 or notched at apex, fewer flowei-s usually single or 

 no more than 3 together, and smaller seed capsules 

 %-l inch long, densely covered with short spines 

 i/x6 inch long. It is native also in Hispaniola and 

 Cuba but was not listed from Puerto Rico by Brit- 

 ton and Wilson. 



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