MYRTLE FAMILY (MYRTACEAE) 



Key to the 11 siiecies illustrated (Nos. 185-195) 



A. Leaves alternate : corolla absent — 1S6. Eucalyptus robusta* 

 AA. Leaves opposite ; corolla of 4 or 5 rounded petals. 

 B. Leaves small, less than 2 inches long. 



C. Leaves rounded at ai^ex : the short petioles and young twigs reddish-brown hairy — 185. Calyptranthes 

 krugii. 

 CC. Leaves long-pointed at apex, hairless when mature. 



D. Leaves bluntly long-pointed, nearly diamond-shaped, dull green, thin, the few lateral veins incon- 

 spicuous — 190. Eugenia rhombca. 

 DD. Leaves ending in long narrow point, ovate or lance-shaped, shiny, slightly thickened, with many 

 prominent side veins — 193. Myrcia splendens. 

 BB. Leaves larger, more than 2 inches long. 



E. Leaves rounded at apex, thick and leathery. 



F. Leaves with many straight, parallel side veins, edges rolled under ; flowers many, very small — 194. 

 Pimenta racemosa. 

 FF. Leaves with few side veins ; flowers few, large — 191. Eugenia stahlii. 

 EE. Leaves long- or short-pointed at apex. 

 G. Leaves with side veins sunken. 



H. Leaves thick, stiff, upper surface shiny ; petioles and twigs densely reddish-brown hairy ; 

 flowers and fruits many, small — 192. Myrcia dcltcxa. 

 HH. Leaves slightly thickened, not stiff ; twigs and lower leaf surfaces finely hairy ; flowers few, 

 large; fruit large, round edible (guava) — 195. Psidium guajava.* 

 GG. Leaves with side veins not sunken. 



I. Flowers and fruits small, about % inch long and broad — 187. Eugenia aeruginea. 

 II. Flowers large, more than 2 inches broad : fruits more than 1 inch long, edible. 

 J. Flowers white : fruits rounded ( ro.se-apple) — 188. Eugenia jambos* 

 J J. Flowers purplish red ; fruits pear-shaped (Malay-apple) — 189. Eugenia malaccensis* 



185. Limoncillo 



This shrub or small tree found only in the 

 mountains of Puerto Rico is characterized by: 

 (1) dark brown twigs, crowded, much branched 

 and forking, wlten young densely rusty reddish- 

 brown hairy; ('2) ojjposite small, obovate, slightly 

 aromatic, leathery leaves almost stalkless, %-l 

 inch long and %-% inch wide, rounded at apex 

 and pointed at base, green to dark green above and 

 pale light green beneath, with many minute 

 gland dots; (3) each leaf covered until almost full 

 size by 2 odd brownish scales (stipules), which 

 split open at midrib on both sides; (4) white flow- 

 ers 1,4-% inch across the many white stamens, 

 single and stalkless at leaf bases; and (5) round 

 beri-y I/4 i'lch in diameter, with ring at apex. 



An evergreen shrub or small tree 8-15 feet tall 

 and 2-3 inches or more in trunk diameter, with 

 narrow crown. The brown bark is smooth, within 

 whitish or brownish and almost tasteless to slight- 

 ly bitter. The slender forking twigs are slightly 

 fissured. 



Tlie leaves have short reddish-brown hairy pe- 

 tioles Vjg inch or less in length. The thickened 

 stiff' blades are hairy when young, the edges 

 turned under, slightly shiny above, and with in- 

 conspicuous lateral veins. 



Flower buds are rounded and reddish-brown 

 hairy. The flower, about % inch high, has a red- 

 dish-brown hairy cuplike base (hypanthium) en- 

 closing the inferior ovary and projecting beyond, 

 bearing the calyx, which splits open as a lid at- 

 tached on 1 side, 4 minute white petals less than 

 'ie inch long, a ring of spreading white sta- 

 mens 1/4 inch long, and a green style V4 inch long. 



Calyptranthes krugii Kiaersk. 



The fleshy fruit is covered with reddish-brown 

 hairs and is greenish when immature. Collected 

 in flower from June to October and with fruit in 

 January. 



The sapwood is light brown and hard. The 

 wood is not used because of the small size of the 

 tree. 



In the upper mountain forests, including the 

 dwarf forests of the summits of the Luquillo 

 Mountains and also in the Central Cordillera. 



Public forests. — Carite, Luquillo, Toro Negro. 



Range. — Confined to eastern and central moun- 

 tains of Puerto Rico. 



This genus is represented by 2 more species of 

 small trees or shrubs in Puerto Rico and 3 others 

 in the Virgin Islands. Flower characteristics of 

 this genus include a cuplike base (hypanthium), 

 which upon shedding leaves a ring scar at apex of 

 the round berry fruit ; the calyx which splits open 

 as a lid ; and corolla none or of 4 very small white 

 petals. The English generic name lidflower, from 

 the scientific name, refers to the calyx. 



Calyptranthes klaerskovii Krug & Urban, 

 known only from foliage collected at Tortola, has 

 obovate hairless leaves 1 inch or less in length with 

 blunt or rounded apex and upper surface shiny. 



The other species have larger leaves 1-3 inches 

 long. Limoncillo del monte (Calyptranthes sin- 

 tenisii Kiaersk.), of moist forests in Puerto Rico 

 and also in Plispaniola, has elliptic long-pointed 

 leaves bright green and faintly shining above and 

 beneath paler, dull, and sometimes slightly hairy; 

 and fruit i/t inch or more in diameter. 



Pale lidflower (Calyptranthes paUens Griseb.), 

 of St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Mona and wider dis- 



396 



