ROSE FAMILY (ROSACEAE) 



57. Icaquillo 



This small tree of mountain forests in Puerto 

 Rico only is identified by : ( 1 ) ovate, long-pointed, 

 shiny <ri-een, hairy leaves with veins much sunken 

 in upper surface and raised beneath, spreading in 

 2 rows on long, slender, sparsely branched, bristly 

 hairy twigs; (2) pink and red flowers % inch long 

 with 5 petals, a few or several in clusters almost 

 hidden under the end leaves of a twig; and (3) 

 dark red, elliptic, slightly flattened, 2-pointed, 

 fleshy fruits 1/4-% inch long. 



An evergreen tree generally less than 20 feet 

 high and o inches in ti'unk diameter. The bark 

 is gray and smooth, inner bark brown and tasteless. 



The alternate leaves are stalkless or with very 

 short hairy petioles less than Vs inch long. Leaf 

 blades are 11/2-31/2 inches long and %-li/2 inches 

 broad, rounded or slightly heart-shaped at base, 

 with edges turned under, the upper surface bristly 

 hairy on midrib, and the lower surface paler and 

 bristly hairy on veins. 



Flower clusters (racemes) are terminal or lat- 

 eral, IV2 inches or less in length, with few flowers 

 on slender hairy stalks I/4-I/2 inch long. The haii-y 

 basal tube (hyj^anthium) is about i/g inch long and 

 broad; there are .) jiinkish hairy sepals %g inch 

 long; 5 elliptic red ])etals more than I/4 inch long, 



Hirtella rugosa Pers. 



slightly spreading; 3 long red stamens % inch 

 long; and pistil consisting of hairy 1-celled ovary 

 laterally placed and slender style attached near 

 base. 



The fruits (drupes) are flnely hairy, composed 

 of thin, almost tasteless, juicy flesh and 1 brownish 

 stone % inch long. Flowering and fruiting nearly 

 throughout the year. 



The sapwood is light brown. The wood is hard, 

 strong, and heavy (specific gravity 0.9), but be- 

 cause of the small size of the trees is little used ex- 

 cept for posts and fuel. 



An understory tree in forests of the lower moun- 

 tain regions of Puerto Rico. 



Public forests. — Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, 

 Maricao. Toro Negro. 



R.\NGE. — Mountains of Puerto Rico only. 



Other common names. — hicaquillo, j icaquillo, 

 juanilla (Puerto Rico). 



The other native species of this genus (Hirtella 

 triandra Sw.) is distinguished by the narrower, 

 lance-shaped to elliptic leaves very long-pointed 

 at apex and short-pointed or rounded at base, the 

 veins not sunken. It is found in moist forests but 

 not confined to the mountains. 



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