92. Indio 



COCA FAMILY (ERYTHROXYLACEAE) 



Erythroxylon areolatum L. 



A small tree or shrub of dry areas characterized 

 by: (1) short-stalked elliptic leaves 1V2~3 inches 

 long and %-liA inches broad, minutely notched 

 at rounded apex and witli -2 faint lines nearly par- 

 allel with midrib and more prominent on lower 

 surface; (2) small whitish flowers ^/^q inch across, 

 several togetlier in lateral clusters mostly before 

 the leaves or at base of new leaves; and (3) fleshy 

 red oblong fruits •yi6-% inch long, 1-seeded. 



A deciduous tree or shrub 8-20 feet high and 

 2-0 inches in trunk diameter. The gray bark is 

 fissured and scaly, inner bark red and slightly bit- 

 ter. Twigs gray, the short lateral twigs often 

 with old scales where leaves and flowers were 

 boiTie. 



The leaves are alternate but sometimes close 

 together on short lateral twigs. Petioles are %6~ 

 1/4 inch long and slender, with a pointed scale 

 (stipule) 1/8 inch long inside base. Blades are 

 broadly short-pointed at base, not toothed on 

 edges, with 2 faint lines nearly parallel with mid- 

 rib but converging with it at both ends, thin, dull 

 dark green above, and pale whitish green beneath. 



Several fragrant flowers develop from a lateral 

 bud on twig, each on a slender stalk i/g-i/l inch 

 long. There is a 5-toothed green calyx less than 

 i/i6 inch long; 5 white rounded spreading petals 

 1/8 inch long, each with a minute 2-lobed scale on 

 inner side; 10 stamens Viq-Vs inch long, united in- 

 to a tube in lower part; and pistil about y^ inch 

 long with 3-celled green ovary and 3 styles. Some 

 flowers have long stamens and short styles, while 

 others have short stamens and long styles. Col- 

 lected in flower in different months from October 

 to June. The fruits (drupes) are green when im- 

 mature but turn red and have thin flesh and 1 large 

 seed. 



The sapwood is light brown and hard. Heart- 

 wood is rich reddish brown (the generic name 

 means red wood) or chocolate brown, with oily 

 appearance, very fine-grained, and very liard. The 

 wood is heavy, strong, and highly durable but 

 available only in small sizes. 



It is reported that the leaves contain a small 

 amount of cocaine. This drug is obtained from 

 the leaves of coca {FJrythro.vyJon coca Lam.), a 

 related species of the Andes of Peru and Bolivia. 



Characteristic of thickets and forests on hills 

 from Ponce to Cabo Rojo, the dry coastal and dry 

 limestone regions of Puerto Rico. Also in Mona 

 and doubtfully recorded from St. Thomas. 



Public forests. — Guajataca, Guanica. 



Range. — West Indies in Bahamas, Cuba, Ja- 

 maica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Mona. Also 

 in southern Mexico (Tabasco to Yucatan), Guate- 

 mala, El Salvador, British Honduras, and Hon- 

 duras. Reported from northern South America, 

 probably in error. 



Other common names. — palo de hierro, cocaina 

 falsa, muerto, hieri-o negro (Puerto Rico) ; 

 piragua, fruta de palonia, arabo (Dominican Re- 

 public) ; arabo carbonero, arabo jiba, arabo real 

 (Cuba); limoncillo (Guatemala); thin-leaf ery- 

 throxylon (Baliamas) ; redwood (Jamaica); red- 

 wood, ridge redwood, swamp redwood (British 

 Honduras) ; poirier, arabo (Haiti). 



This genus is represented by 3 additional 

 species of shrubs or small trees, and another species 

 is a low shrub. Jiba {Erythioxylon hrevipes DC.) 

 has nearly stalkless obovate leaves less than 1 inch 

 long. Raton (E. roh/ndifoh'umJjunaTi) has simi- 

 lar leaves with petioles Vg-Vi inch long. E. mfum. 

 Cav. has oblong leaves 2i/2^ inches long, slightly 

 thickened, with prominent network of veins. 



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