LAUREL FAMILY (LAURACEAE) 



Key to the 10 species illustrated (Nos. 42-51) 



A. Fniit without a cup at base. 



R. Fruit elliptic, lilack. 1-1% inches long, inedible — 42. BeHschtnieitia pcndula. 

 BB. Fruit pear-.shapeil or nearly round, yellow green, 4-5 inches long, edible (avocado) — 51. Persca americana* 

 AA. Fruit with cup at base. 



C. I^eaves very narrow, lance-shaped — 43. Licaria salicifolia. 

 CC. Leaves broader, mostly elliptic. 



D. Leaves broadest below or near middle, mostly long-pointed. 



E. Fruits many, round, about 'ii; inch in diameter, the <-up covered with warts; leaves often with 

 scattered raised dots (galls) — IS. Orated Unroriilon. 

 EE. Fruits few or several. V. inch or more in diameter : leaves without raised dots. 

 F. Fruit cup aliout as long as broad. 



G. Fruit cup about % inch long and broad — 14. Licaria friandra. 

 GG. Fruit cup about i'jr, inch long and broad — 1^>. Xrctanrlra coriacea. 

 FF. Fruit cup very short, flat. Iiearing calyx lobe.^ turned back — 17. Ocotea floriiunda. 

 DD. Leaves broadest beyond middle, short-pointed or rounded at apex. 



H. Leaves <-lnstere(l at nr n''ar ends of twigs. IVo-SVo inches long— .")0. Ocotea spathnlata. 

 HH. Leaves borne singly. 3-7 inches long. 



I. Leaves with lower surface densely hairy, reddish brown when young but becoming gray — 46. 

 Ocotea cuncata. 

 II. Leaves shiny on both sides, hairless or nearly so, veins mostly reddish tinged near base — 49. 

 Ocotea moschata. 



42. Guajon 



Distinsjuislied by: (1) spicy foliage, twigs, and 

 bark ; (2) bark on large trunks peeling off and ex- 

 posing rusty reddish-brown inner layers; (3) el- 

 liptic, slightly leathery leaves often broadest be- 

 yond middle, short-pointed at both ends, much 

 perforated liy insects on many trees: (-i) greenish- 

 yellow flowers about y^ inch long and broad, sev- 

 eral in a loose, long-stalked, Ijranched, lateral 

 cluster 3-5 inches long; and (5) the long elliptic 

 black fruits l-lVi> inches long and i/> inch in di- 

 ameter, witliout a cup at base, fleshy and 1-seeded, 

 borne singly. 



A medium-sized evergreen tree attaining 75 feet 

 in height and 214 feet in trunk diameter. The 

 dark brown bark is smoothish and slightly fis- 

 sured, about 1/4 "ich thick, the inner bark light 

 brown. The twigs are green and minutely hairy 

 when young. 



The alternate leaves have petioles %-% inch 

 long. Leaf blades are 314-61/2 inches long and 

 2-314 inches broad, hairless or nearly so at ma- 

 turity, the edges not toothed, green on upper sur- 

 face, and paler or covered with a bloom beneath. 



The flower clusters (panicles) have finely hairy 

 branches bearing several sliort-stalked flowers. 

 The greenish-yellow calyx is finely hairy and has 

 (i lobes less than Y^q inch long; there are 9 stamens 

 and additional sterile stamens (staminodes) ; and 

 pistil of 1-celled, 1-ovuled ovary with short style. 



Beilschmiedia pendula (Sw.) Benth. & Hook. f. 



Fruits (bei'ries) are green, turning black at ma- 

 turity, fleshy, with 1 large seed. As some common 

 names suggest, they resemble small avocados and 

 olives slightly. Flowering and fruiting from 

 spring to fall. 



The sapwood is pale brown, and the heartwood 

 is pinkish brown. The wood is moderately hard, 

 strong, and heavy (specific gravity 0.54). It is 

 very susceptible to damage by dry-wood termites. 

 Rate of air-seasoning is slow, and amount of de- 

 grade is minor. Machining characteri.stics are as 

 follows: planing, shaping, sanding, and resistance 

 to screw splitting are good ; turning and mortising 

 are fair; and boring is poor. The wood is used for 

 shipbuilding, general construction, flooring, furni- 

 ture, cabinetmaking, and carpentry. 



It is reported that the fruits are eaten by hogs 

 and other animals in Cuba. 



In lower Luquillo and Cordillera regions of 

 Puerto Rico. Also in St. Thomas. 



Public forests. — Carite, Luquillo. 



R.vNGE. — Greater Antilles, St. Thomas, and 

 Lesser Antilles from St. Kitts to St. Vincent. 



Other commox n.\mes. — agiuicatillo, aguacate 

 cimarr6n,cedro macho (Puerto Rico) ; aguacatillo, 

 cigua amarilla (Dominican Republic) ; aceitu- 

 nillo, aguacatillo, curavara, mulato (Cuba) ; slog- 

 wood, slug-wood (Jamaica) ; laurier madame 

 (Dominica). 



Botanical synonym. — Hufelandia pendul-a 

 (Sw.) Nees. 



110 



