LAUREL FAMILY (LAURACEAE) 



46. Canelon 



A distinct laurel reco^iized by: (1) dense, sym- 

 metrical, narrow, conical crown ; (2) spicy le-aves, 

 twigs, and bark; (3) the yoiinj; twigs, petioles, 

 lower surface of young leaves, flower stalks, and 

 flowers covered with dense, reddish-brown, rusty, 

 or cinnamon-colored hairs; (4) the leathery obo- 

 vate leaves, broadest near the abruptly short- 

 pointed apex and gradually narrowed toward the 

 long-pointed, short-stalked base; (5) the spread- 

 ing yellowish flowers % inch across in lateral 

 branched clusters; and (6) the elliptic fruits ^'s 

 inch long and 14 inch in diameter, with large hem- 

 ispheric double-margined cup. 



Medium-sized evergreen tree to 50 feet high and 

 1 foot in trunk diameter with straight trunk. The 

 bark is brown or gray, smoothisli and slightly 

 warty, on large trunks becoming slightly furrowed, 

 rough, and thick (V2 inch). Inner bark is brown, 

 spicy and bitter. Young twigs are finely hairy 

 and slightly angled, and older twigs are gray and 

 hairless. 



The aromatic leaves ai'e alternate on short, stout 

 ])etioles Vs"^ hich long. Blades are 4—7 inches 

 long and 2-31^ inches broad, thick, not toothed at 

 edges. The upper surface is green or dark green 

 and finely hairy or nearly hairless, and the lower 

 surface densely and very finely hairy, reddish 

 brown when j^oung but becoming gray. 



Flower clustei'S (panicles) are 3-6 inches long, 

 narrow, with many slightly fragrant flowers on 

 short hairy stalks. There are 6 spreading yellow- 

 ish calyx lobes less than Vg hich long; 9 stamens; 

 and pistil of partly enclosed 1 -celled ovary, style. 



Ocotea cuneata (Griseb.) Urban 



and flattened stigma. The fleshy fruit (berry) is 

 l-.seeded. Flowering from May to September, with 

 fruits nearly through the year. 



The sapwood is whitish and hard. The wood is 

 suitable for construction, but most trees are used 

 for posts. 



Forests of the western moist limestone and lower 

 Cordillera regions of Puerto Rico. 



Public torests. — Guajataca, Maricao, Susua. 



Range. — Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. 



Other commox names. — canela (Puerto Rico) ; 

 sasafnis (Dominican Republic) ; canelon, canelillo, 

 achetillo, bijote, vencedor (Cuba). 



In addition to the 5 species of this genus de- 

 scribed here, 3 others known also as laurel are less 

 common trees in Puerto Rican mountain forests. 

 Palo santo {Ocotea foeniculacea Mez), from the 

 Central Coi'dillera near Adjuntas, has elliptic 

 leaves 2-31/0 inches long and l-lVo inches wide, 

 short -pointed at both ends, stiff, shiny, and hair- 

 less. 



Laurel de paloma {Ocotea portoricensis Mez), 

 called also laurel avispillo and known only from 

 Puerto Rico, has elliptic leaves 2^ inches long 

 and %-li/^ inches wide, hairless, with callus-like 

 thickenings in vein angles beneath, aiid has flow- 

 ers male and female on separate trees (dioecious). 



Laurel canelon {Ocotea lortghtii (Meisn.) 

 Mez), of the western Cordillera, has oblong or 

 lance-shaped leaves 21,4-5 inches long and %-li/4 

 inches wide, long-pointed, and densely rusty hairy 

 beneath when young. 



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