FLACOURTIA FAMILY (FLACOURTIACEAE) 



173. Caracolillo 



A large tree characterized by : ( 1 ) elliptic leaves 

 with wavy-toothed edges, abruptly short-pomted 

 at apex and rounded or short-pointed at base, 

 spreading in 2 rows ; (2) the lateral flower clusters 

 2-6 inches long bearing few to many grayish or 

 pale green, finely hairy, widely spreading flowers 

 %-y2 inch across the 6 or 7 spreading petals; and 

 (3) brown seed capsules resembling dried flowers 

 with dead brown sepals attached. Large trees 

 stand out because of their pale or light green foli- 

 age and their white bark. 



An evergreen tree to 70 feet or more in height 

 and 2 feet in trunk diameter, with narrow or 

 spreading crown. The light gray to white bark 

 is thin and smooth, becoming slightly fissured and 

 scaly. Inner bark is light brown and bitter. The 

 slender twigs are brown, green when young, hair- 

 less or nearly so. 



The alternate leaves have short petioles %-% 

 inch long. Leaf blades are variable in shape and 

 size, 2-5 inches long and 1^/4-2 V2 inches broad, 

 thin or slightly thickened, hairless or often with 

 minute tufts in vein angles beneath, shiny green 

 above and beneath dull green and slightly paler. 



The usually narrow flower clusters (racemes or 

 panicles) are borne singly at leaf bases and vary 

 greatly in length and in number of flowers. The 

 slender, finely hairy axis has flowers on short 

 stalks about Vie inch long or sometimes 3 on a 

 branch less than 1/4 irich long. The calyx bonie 

 on the tubular base (hypanthium) has 6 or 7 

 widely spreading, pointed, hairy sepals Vg-Yie inch 

 long; there are as many spreading petals %6 inch 

 long, pointed, and hairy; numerous stamens in 

 groups of mostly 4-6 opposite the petals and al- 

 ternate with glands; and the pistil with hairy, 

 half inferior ovary conical at both ends and with 

 3 styles % inch long separate to base or partly 

 united. 



The seed capsule and spreading sepals fall to- 



Homalium racemosum Jacq. 



gether. There is usually 1 rounded brown seed 

 more than i/m inch long. Flowering and fruiting 

 from spring to fall (April to September) . 



Tlie attractive golden yellow sapwood merges 

 gradually into the grayish-brown to reddish-brown 

 heartwood, frequently with irregular darker 

 streaks and patches. The wood is very hard, 

 very heavy (specific gi'avity 0.77), moderately 

 strong, fine-textured, and with interlocked gi-ain. 

 It is resistant to attack by dry-wood termites. 

 Rate of air-seasoning and amount of degrade are 

 moderate. Machining characteristics are as fol- 

 lows: planing, shaping, turning, mortising, and 

 sanding are good ; boring is excellent ; and resist- 

 ance to screw splitting is very poor. 



The wood is used for general construction, al- 

 though its hardness is a disadvantage. It is suit- 

 able for tool handles, sporting and athletic goods, 

 agricultural implements, boat parts, and heavy 

 construction. 



Widely distributed in Puerto Rico in forests, 

 thickets, and along streams, in the upper and lower 

 mountain, the limestone, and coastal regions. 



Public forests. — Cambalache, Carite, Guaja- 

 taca, Guanica, Guilarte, Luquillo, Rio Abajo, 

 Susua, Toro Negro. 



Municipalities where especially common. — 

 24, 60. 



Range. — Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles 

 fi'om St. Kitts to Guadeloupe and Martinique. 

 Also from Mexico to Venezuela, Surinam, and 

 northern Brazil. 



Other common names. — tostado, guajanilla, 

 cereza (Puerto Rico) ; corazon de paloma (Domin- 

 ican Republic) ; caramacate, marfil, granadillo de 

 clavo, verdecito (Venezuela) ; bois de hetre, acoma 

 blanc, acoma hetre, acoma franc (Guadeloupe) ; 

 acomat (Martinique); bietahoedoe (Surinam). 



Botanical SYNO'sirMS.—HomaJiimi plelandrum 

 Blake, H. heTtiistylimh Blake, H. leiogynum Blake. 



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