MELASTOME FAMILY (MELASTOMATACEAE) 



197. Camasey peludo 



This distinctive shrub or small tree limited to 

 Puerto Kico is easily recognized by: (1) the 

 straight, bristly, sticky (glandular), red hairs 

 i/ig-i/g incli long (and also dense minute star- 

 shaped hairs) on twigs, petioles, flower stalks, 

 flowers, and fruits; (2) the opposite, long-pet ioled, 

 bristly hairy, broadly ovate leaves reddish tinged 

 above, with 7 veins from base; (3) large white 

 flowei's % inch long and broad, with 6-8 spreading 

 petals, several in terminal clusters; and (4) the 

 edible, purplish, very juicy berries 14 inch ui 

 diameter. 



An evergreen tree commonlj' less than 15 feet 

 high and 3 inches in trunk diameter, sometimes 

 larger, with spi-eading crown. The brownish-gray 

 bark is smoothish and slightly fissured and thin. 

 Inner bark is light brown and almost tasteless. 

 The twigs are greenish and reddish tinged, becom- 

 ing brown, with long straight red hairs. 



The leaves have petioles l^/^-SVo inches long, and 

 thin but stiff blades 4-7 inches long and 3-41,^ 

 inches wide (smaller below flowei-s), long-pointed 

 with slightly heart-shaped or rounded base. The 

 edges are finel}' toothed and with bristly haire, the 

 upper surface is green and bristly hairj', and the 

 loMNer surface yellow green. 



Flower clusters (panicles) are branched, 3-5 

 inches long and broad. The very hairy tubular 



Heterotrichum cymosum (Wendl.) Urban 



base (hypanthium) encloses the inferior ovary 

 more than Vs ii^ch in diameter and extends y^e 

 inch above; the calyx tube is about y^ inch long 

 and 1/4 inch across, widely spreading, with 6-8 

 very narrow, very hairy, green lobes 1/4 inch long; 

 there are 6-8 sjjreading white petals tinged with 

 pink, almost i/o inch long; twice as many stamens 

 as petals, pink, with yellow anthers; and pistil 

 composed of inferior, several-celled ovary and 

 slender, curved style Yie inch long. 



The berries, rounded witli a flattened spreading 

 top of calyx tube and lobes remaining, are slightly 

 sweet to the taste. There are numerous tiny light 

 brown seeds. In flower and fruit nearly through 

 the year. 



The sapwood is light brown, moderately hard, 

 and medium weight (specific gravity 0.6) . Because 

 of the small size and spreading form of the tree 

 the wood is little used. 



Common and widely distributed in open areas, 

 such as roadsides in the moimtain forest regions 

 of Puerto Rico. 



Public forests. — Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, 

 Maricao, Rio Abajo, Toro Negro. 



Raxge. — Known only from Puerto Rico. 



Other common names. — pelua, terciopelo, ca- 

 masey de paloma (Puerto Rico). 



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