CYRILLA FAMILY (CYRILLACEAE) 



136. Palo Colorado, swamp cyrilla 



Palo Colorado, a large tree common in the higher 

 mountains, is characterized by: (1) leathery, 

 lance-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaves IV2-SV2 

 inches long, blunt and minutely notched at apex, 

 usually turning red before falling; (2) reddish- 

 brown, smoothish thin bark on the large crooked 

 and twisted trunks which splits otf in thin plates 

 or scales, becoming whitish pink, spongy at base 

 of ti'ee; (3) leaves confined chiefly to the top of 

 a many-branched crown, which resembles a broom 

 in appearance; and (-4) numerous crowded, small, 

 white, 5-parted flowei-s % long in very narrow 

 lateral flower clusters 3-6 inches long and only 

 % inch broad. 



This evergreen tree generally becomes 50 feet 

 high and 3 feet in diameter, rarely 60 feet in height 

 and 6 feet in trunk diameter. On exposed moun- 

 tain ridges and sununits it may be small or 

 shrubby. The bark on small trunks does not have 

 the reddish-brown color noted above but is gray 

 to brown, smoothish and minutely fissured. The 

 inner bark is reddish to brown and bitter. Young 

 twigs are brown, turning gray. 



The alternate leaves have petioles %-i4 inch 

 long. The leaf blades are variable in form and 

 size, commonly %-l inch broad, sometimes smaller, 

 pointed at base, with edges curved under. They 

 are gi-een and shiny on upper surface and pale 

 green on lower surface. 



One to 10 flower clusters (spikelike racemes) on 

 a twig are located below most of the leaves. They 

 bear numerous short-stalked flowers %^ inch 

 across and spreading slightly. There are 5 short, 

 pointed sepals; 5 pointed "petals Vs inch long, 

 white or also tinged with pink; 5 stamens; and 

 pistil with a 2-celled ovary, short style, and 2 

 stigmas. 



The many small, dry, egg-shaped fruits 

 (drupes) i/g inch long are pink to red and contain 

 2 or 3 light brown seeds. Flowering and fruiting 

 probably during most of the year. 



The sapwood is light brown, and the seasoned 

 heartwood attractive dark reddish brown. This 

 vei-y hard, moderately heavy wood (specific 

 gravity approximately 0.53) has fine uniform tex- 

 ture, heavily interlocked grain, and prominent an- 

 nual growth rings. The rate of air-seasoning is 

 very slow, but degrade is exceptionally severe, and 

 shrinkage is very high. Because of severe warp- 

 ing, air-dry lumber is unfit for most commercial 

 uses. Machining characteristics are as follows: 



Cyrilla racemiflora L. 



planing and resistance to screw splitting are ex- 

 cellent; shaping, turning, boring, and mortising 

 are good; and sanding is fair. The wood is sus- 

 ceptible to dry- wood termites. 



In Puerto Rico the wood is seldom used except 

 for fuel, because of the great warping in season- 

 ing. Also, the large, very old trunks are short, 

 often crooked, and usually hollow. However, in 

 Cuba the handsomelj' colored wood has been made 

 into furniture. The spongy bark at the base of 

 trunk is absorbent, pliable, and astringent and has 

 been recommended as a styptic. 



Sometimes planted in the United States as an 

 ornamental because of the graceful white flower 

 clusters and showy autumnal coloration of the foli- 

 age. The flowere produce dark honey, and in 

 Cuba the hollow trunks serve as beehives. 



Widely distributed in the forests of the upper 

 mountain regions of Puerto Rico, chiefly in the 

 Luquillo Mountains. The wild pari'ots native only 

 in the Luquillo Mountains nest in these hollow 

 trees. 



Public forests. — Carite, Luquillo, Maricao, 

 Toro Negro. 



Range.— Southeastern United States (near 

 coast from southeastern Virginia to Florida and 

 southeastern Texas), Gi-eater Antilles, and Lesser 

 Antilles in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Vin- 

 cent. Also in southern Mexico (Oaxaca) and 

 British Hondiu-as and from Venezuela to Guianas 

 and northern Brazil. 



According to its unusual northward distribu- 

 tion, this species is one of the hardiest native trees 

 of Puerto Rico in resistance to cold. Growing 

 wild north to southeastern Virginia, it has been 

 cultivated farther north in eastern United States 

 to New England. Over most of the wide range a 

 small tree or shrub of swamps and river banks but 

 in the mountains of the Greater Antilles it be- 

 comes a large tree. 



Other comjion names. — Colorado (Puerto 

 Rico) ; granado, palo coloi-ado, sabina macho (Do- 

 minican Republic); barril, clavellina, llorona, 

 yanilla (Cuba) ; piojillo, piojito (Venezuela) ; 

 swamp cyrilla, American cyrilla, leatherwood, 

 southern leatherwood, titi, white titi (United 

 States) ; bloodwood, beetwood (Jamaica) ; wari- 

 miri (British Guiana) ; bois couche, olivier nion- 

 tagne (Guadeloupe). 



Botanical synonym. — Cyrilla antillana Michx. 



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