maja^a de toro (Mexico) ; tapaculo (Guatemala, 

 El Salvador) ; caulote (Guatemala, Honduras, El 

 Salvador, Colombia) ;contamal (Guatemala) ; chi- 

 charron (El Salvador) ; guacimillo (Nicara^a) ; 

 guacimo bianco (Costa Rica) ; guacimo de ternero 

 (Panama) ; iumanasi, papaj'illo (Peru) ; coco 

 (Bolivia) ; camba-aca, guazuma (Argentina) ; 

 bastard-cedar (Jamaica, Trinidad) ; bois d'onne, 

 West-Indian-elm (Trinidad); pigeon-wood (To- 

 bago) ; bay-cedar, caulote, pixoy (British Hon- 



duras) ; bois d'orme, orme d'Amerique (French) ; 

 bois de hetre, hetre gris, hetre vert, mahot-hetre 

 (Guadeloupe) ; goeaazoema (Dutch West Indies) ; 

 mutamba (Brazil). 



Botanical synonyms. — Gtmzuina gvMzuma 

 (L.) Cockerell, G. tomentosa H. B. K., G. ulmi- 

 folia var. tomentosa (H. B. K.) K. Schum. 



The common name jacocalalu, applied to this 

 species in St. Thomas, is said to be an African 

 word for an edible plant like spinach. 



CHOCOLATE FAMILY (STERCULLACEAE) 

 157. Anacagiiita, panama-tree Sterculia apetala (Jacq.) Karst.* 



This large and handsome, introduced shade tree 

 is distinguished by: (1) a den.se broad spreading 

 crown; (2) the abundant foliage of long-petioled, 

 broad, deeply 5-lobed, pleated leaves with thick 

 and leathery blades 8-12 inches long and wide; 

 (3) large clusters of many bell-shaped yellowisli 

 flowers tinged with red or purple, 5-lobed and 

 about % inch long and % inch across; and (4) the 

 large, dark brown, hard, dry fruits, each of 5 or 

 fewer spreading pods 21/2-31/2 inches long, opening 

 widely to release the large black seeds and covered 

 within with stiff needlelike bristles, which pene- 

 trate and irritate the skin. 



An evergreen tree to 50 feet high. The trunks 

 are commonly 3 feet or more in diameter, develop- 

 ing narrow prominent buttresses taller than broad. 

 The bark is smooth and gray or brown. Inner 

 bark is orange brown, gritty, and tasteless. Young 

 twigs, flowers, and young leaves are thickly cov- 

 ered with brown, mucli-branched or star-shaped 

 hairs. Older twigs are stout and light gray, with 

 large, nearly round leaf scars. 



The alternate leaves liave round yellow-green 

 petioles 5-8 inches or more in length. Blades have 

 5 main veins from the heart-shaped base (palm- 

 ately lobed) , the lobes ovate and short-pointed, not 

 toothed on edges. The green and slightly shiny 

 upper surface becomes almost hairless, while the 

 gray to brownish-green lower surface is densely 

 woolly with minute star-shaped hairs. 



Branched flower clusters (panicles) about 8 

 inches long are borne near the ends of twigs. The 

 numerous flowers are partly male or female and 

 partly bisexual (polygamous), with a 5-lobed 

 calyx but have no petals. Stamens and pistil are 

 borne at the end of a stalk 14-% inch long, with 

 7-15 anthers on a very short tube, and the woolly 

 pistil, when pi-esent, consisting of a 5-celled ovary 

 i/s inch in diameter and a style of the same length 

 but curved downward. There are 2-5 elliptic 



seeds % inch long in each pod (follicle), maturing 

 usually in spring. Flowering in spring and oc- 

 casionally in summer and fall. 



The sapwood is whitish, and the heartwood light 

 brown to reddish brown. The wood is lightweight 

 (specific gravity 0.30-.45), soft, spongy, fibrous, 

 coarse-textured, and has growth rings. It works 

 easily but discolors rapidly and is susceptible to 

 decay. Possible uses are interior construction and 

 packing boxes. Large trunks have been hollowed 

 into dugout canoes elsewhere. 



The principal value of this species is for shade 

 and ornament, since tlie wood is seldom used. It 

 is reported that the edible seeds when ground can 

 be made into a beverage and when roasted taste 

 like peanuts. Pigs eat the seeds also. Flowers, 

 leaves, and bark have been employed in home 

 medicines. Also a honey plant. 



Individual trees have been planted for shade 

 and ornament in various parts of Puerto Rico and 

 in St. Thomas and perhaps others of the Virgin 

 Islands, but the species is not native. This species 

 is honored as the national tree of the Republic of 

 Panama and as the origin of tliat country's name. 



Range. — Southern Mexico and Central America 

 to Peru and Brazil. Naturalized in Jamaica and 

 Trinidad. Planted in southern Florida, Cuba, 

 Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, and 

 elsewhere in the tropics. 



Other common names. — anacahuita (Domini- 

 can Republic) ; chicha (commerce) ; anacagiiita, 

 camanica (Cuba) ; bellota (Mexico, Guatemala) ; 

 castano (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador) ; 

 panama (Central America) ; camajuru, camajon- 

 duro (Colombia) ; camoruco, pata de danta, sun- 

 sun, cacaito, cacaguillo (Venezuela) ; panama-tree 

 (English) ; pistache des Indes (Haiti) . 



Botanical synonym. — Sterculia carthaginensis 

 Cav. 



340 



