COMBRETUM FAMILY (COMBRETACEAE) 



181. Ucar, gregre, oxhorn bucida 



A widely spreading timber and shade tree iden- 

 tified by : (1) a broad symmetrical crown of nearly 

 horizontal branches which generally droop near 

 the ends; (2) paired gray spines 14-% inch long 

 on the twigs of some trees; (3) elliptic leaves 1-3 

 inches long and %-2 inches broad, clustered at 

 ends of short erect twigs; (4) small, greenish- 

 white or light brown flowers stalkless in lateral 

 clusters 1-4 inches long; and (5) brownish, some- 

 what conical fruits about 14 inch long with spread- 

 ing calyx remaining at apex, but some fruits 

 deformed as hornlike galls 2-3 inches long and 

 more than Yg inch in diameter. 



Evergreen or deciduous medium-sized to large 

 tree 30-60 feet high and to 3 feet in trunk diam- 

 eter. The bark is brown, fissured and slightly 

 rough or becoming thickened and scaly. Inner 

 bark brown and slightly bitter. The gi'ay twigs, 

 finely hairy when young, are widely forking, con- 

 sisting of slender leafless portions and shorter 

 stout, spurlike areas bearing leaves or mas.ses of 

 leaf scars. 



The leaves are alternate on slightly hairy petioles 

 1/4-%, inch long. Blades are rounded, short- 

 pointed, or notched at apex and short-pointed at 

 base, often widest beyond middle, the edges not 

 toothed, slightly thickened, hairless or nearly so 

 at maturity, green on upper surface and yellow 

 green beneath. 



Flower clusters (spikes) are among the leaves, 

 unbranched, and bear along the finely haiiy gray- 

 green axis or at the end many stalkless flowers, 

 which are 14,-% i"ch long and y^-Vo inch broad 

 across the stamens. The base (hypanthium) is less 

 than Yg inch long, gray green or light brownish, 

 finely hairy; the bowl-shaped, greenish- white 

 calyx is y^g inch long and %6 inch across, 5- 

 toothed, and finely hairy; there are 10 widely 

 spreading stamens Vs-V^ inch long; and the pistil 

 with inferior 1-celled ovary and slender hairy 

 style %6 inch long. 



The fruits (dnipes) are irregularly 5-angled, 

 slightly fleshy or dry, narrowed lielow the calyx, 

 minutely hairy, 1-seeded. Odd, hornlike galls 

 caused by mites commonly develop from some 

 fruits and become many times longer than normal 

 size. Flowering and fruiting irregularly through 

 the year. 



The sapwood is yellowish or light brown, and the 

 attractive heartwood dark greeiiish brown with 

 longitudinal stripes resulting from roey grain. 

 The wood is very hard, very heavy (specific grav- 

 ity 0.93), very strong, tough, and moderately fine- 



Bucida buceras L. 



textured. Rate of air-seasoning and amomit of de- 

 grade are moderate. Machining characteristics 

 are as follows: planing is fair; shaping and sand- 

 ing are good; turning, boring, and mortising are 

 excellent; but resistance to screw splitting is very 

 poor. One of the heaviest available woods of 

 Puerto Eico, it is difficult to work because of the 

 high density and hardness. It is durable in con- 

 tact with the ground, resistant to attack by dry- 

 wood termites, and takes a fine polish. 



This valuable timber is used locally in carts, 

 gates, fences, and rural construction. It is suita- 

 ble also for heavy-duty flooring, workbenches, ma- 

 chinery platforms, and heavy exterior construc- 

 tion. Uses elsewhere include marine piling in 

 nonteredo areas, crossties, house posts, bridge 

 timbers, and charcoal. 



Formerly the bark was employed in tanning. 

 Also planted as a shade and ornamental tree, 

 especially in coastal and dry regions. Common in 

 cultivation as a street tree in southern Florida. 



In forests of the moist and dry limestone regions 

 and forests along coasts and streams near the sea 

 in Puerto Rico. Also in Mona, Vieques, St. Croix, 

 St. Thomas, and St. John. 



Public forests. — Aguirre, Boqueron, Camba- 

 lache, Guajataca, Guanica, Rio Abajo, San Juan, 

 Susua. 



Municipalities where especi.^llt common. — 

 12, 21, 24, 26, 28, 36, 38, 44, 54, 55, 66, 75. 



Range. — Upper Florida Keys, Bahamas, Cuba, 

 Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Virgin 

 Islands, and Leeward Islands to Guadeloupe in 

 Lesser Antilles. Also from southern Mexico to 

 Panama and northern South America along the 

 coasts of Colombia, Venezuela (including Mar- 

 garita), and Guianas. 



Other common names. — guaraguao, gri-gri 

 (Dominican Republic) ; jucaro, jucaro negro, 

 jucarillo (Cuba) ; pucte (Mexico) ; bucida (Co- 

 lombia) ; oxhorn bucida, black-olive (United 

 States) ; black-olive (Bahamas, Jamaica) ; olive- 

 bark-tree (Jamaica) ; bullet-tree, bullywood, 

 bully-tree (British Honduras) ; bois gri-gri, gris- 

 gris des montagnes, gue-gue (Haiti) ; bois gli-gli, 

 bois gris-gris (Guadeloupe) ; grignon (French 

 Guiana) . 



Botanical synonyms. — Buceras hucida Crantz, 

 TerTii'malia huceras C. Wright. 



The scientific name and English common name 

 oxhorn bucida are descriptive of the elongated 

 fruit galls. 



388 



