SAPODILLA FAMILY (SAPOTACEAE) 



213. Jacana 



This large tree with small amount of milky sap, 

 found in moist forests, is distinguished by : (1) us- 

 ually large, narrowly elliptic dark green leaves 

 5-16 inches long and 2-5 inciies broad, widest be- 

 yond middle, slightly thickened and leathery, with 

 sunken lateral veins on upper surface; (2) the 

 white to pinkish bell-shaped flowers % inch long 

 borne in lateral clusters along the twigs at leaf 

 bases or back of leaves; and (3) orange-colored 

 round or elliptic fruits IV2-2 inches long, which 

 are edible but mealy and almost tasteless. 



An evergreen tree 60-80 feet in height and to 

 IV^ feet in trunk diameter, with wide crown of 

 spreading and slightly drooping branches. Bark 

 is much fissured, sliglitly rough, and brown. The 

 inner bark is light pink, almost tasteless, and with 

 a small quantity of white latex. The stout twigs 

 are brown and minutely hairy when young, be- 

 coming gray. 



The leaves are alternate but mostly close to- 

 gether on petioles V2~% inch long. Blades are 

 usually short-pointed at apex, long- or short- 

 pointed at base, not toothed on edges, hairless or 

 nearly so, and beneath green or yellow green with 

 raised veins. 



A few flowers are borne together on green, mi- 

 nutely hairy stalks % inch long. There are 4 

 broad, rounded, overlapping, green sepals less than 

 l^ inch long, the outer 2 finely hairy ; the white to 

 pink corolla tubular, % inch long and l^ inch 

 broad with generally 6 rounded lobes; there is 1 

 stamen on the corolla opposite each lobe and 1 ap- 

 pendage (staminode) between each 2 lobes; and 

 pistil with brown hairy 4- or 5-celled ovary and 

 stout style 14 inch long. 



The large soft berries have a slight mellow odor 

 and an orange pulp, almost the color of an egg 

 yolk. Tliere is usually a single, very large, elliptic, 

 shiny brown seed l-l^A inches long. Flowering 

 from spring to fall, the fruit maturing nearly 

 through the year. 



The sapwood is light brown, and the heartwood 

 is reddish brown. The wood is very hard, very 



Pouteria multiflora (A. DC.) Eyma 



heavy (specific gravity 0.74) , strong, fine-textured, 

 with generally straight grain, ancl without evi- 

 dent growtli rings. It is susceptible to attack by 

 dry-wood termites. Air-seasoning is slow, diffi- 

 cult, and with considerable degrade. Machining 

 characteristics are as follows: planing and resist- 

 ance to screw splitting are fair; shaping, turning, 

 mortising, and sanding are good; and boring is 

 excellent. 



The wood is used principally for construction 

 and also for furniture. Uses elsewhere include 

 heavy construction, house framing, bridgework, 

 and posts. 



Suitable for planting for shade and ornament. 

 Fruits are eaten locally. 



Moist coastal and limestone forests and lower 

 mountain forests in Puerto Rico. Seedlings some- 

 times are numerous in the shade of a parent tree. 

 Also St. Croix and St. Thomas. 



PtJBLic FORESTS. — Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, 

 Maricao, Rio Abajo, Susua, Toro Negro. 



Municipality where especially common. — 

 43. 



Range. — Jamaica, Hispaniola (Dominican Re- 

 public), Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Thomas, 

 through Lesser Antilles from Saba and St. Kitts 

 to (irenada, and Trinidad. Planted in Bermuda. 



Other common names. — bully-tree, savannah 

 bully-tree (Jamaica) ; choky-apple (St. Kitts, 

 Nevis) ; pain d'epice (Dominica, Trinidad) ; 

 penny-piece (Dominica, St. Vincent, Grenada, 

 Trinidad) ; pomme pain, pain d'epice (Guade- 

 loTipe, Martinique). 



Botanical synonym. — Lucuma multiflora A. 

 DC. 



On limestone hills of northern Puerto Rico there 

 is another species {Pouteria dictyoneura (Griseb.) 

 Radlk.; synonym Paralahatia portoricensis Brit- 

 ton & Wilson ) , found also in Hispaniola and Cuba. 

 It has lance-shaped leaves 2V2^V^ inches long and 

 1-11/4 inches wide, hairy beneath with long whit- 

 ish hairs; smaller flowers %« inch long; and roimd 

 or elliptic fruits %-l inch long, 1-seeded. 



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