BORAGE FAMILY (BORAGINACEAE) 



223. Capa Colorado, red manjack 



A handsome tree, generally small, distinguished 

 by: (1) whorled branches appearing in horizontal 

 layers; (2) very shiny elliptic leaves, short-point- 

 ed at both ends, slightly leathei-y and stiff, bent 

 up a little on both sides of midrib; (3) usually 

 many bell-shaped white flowers V^-% "icli across 

 the 5 spreading corolla lobes, in an erect wide 

 branching terminal flower cluster; and (4) clusters 

 of fleshy, bright red, rounded fruits V2-% i"ch in 

 diameter but slightly flattened. 



An evergreen or deciduous tree 15-25 feet high 

 and to 1 foot in trunk diameter, i-eported to reach 

 65 feet, with dense rounded crown, or sometimes 

 shrubby. Tlie bark is gray, smoothish but becom- 

 ing furrowed and thick. Inner bark is light 

 brown, turning darker upon exposure, fibrous and 

 almost tasteless. The twigs are light brown, 

 green and finely hairy when young, often 

 forking into 3 unequal twigs. 



The alternate leaves have slender light green 

 petioles %-% inch long. Blades are 2-6 inches 

 long and 1-2 inches broad, hairless, above very 

 shiny green with midrib and some lateral veins 

 often slightly sunken, and beneath light green and 

 only slightly shiny. 



Flower clusters (panicles) are 2-4 inches broad 

 and high, the slender branches widely forking by 

 2's. The short-stalked flowers have a tubular 

 whitish calyx 1/4 inch long, 3-5-toothed; the white 

 corolla 14 inch long has a short tube and 5 spread- 

 ing lobes which become turned under before fall- 

 ing ; 5 stamens hairy at base are inserted on corolla 

 tube between the lobes and extend above ; and the 

 white pistil Yie "^ch long has 4-celled ovary on an 

 orange base and 2 styles united below and each 

 forked above. 



Cordia nitida Vahl 



The fruit (drupe) retains the irregularly split 

 greenish calyx at base. A light brown angled 

 nutlet is imbedded in the slightly astringent red- 

 dish flesh. Flowering and fruiting irregularly 

 through the year, frequently with quantities of 

 fruits. 



The wood is used chiefly for posts. When cul- 

 tivated, the trees make attractive ornamentals. A 

 lioney plant. 



In tliickets and forests of the coastal and lime- 

 stone regions of Puerto Rico. Also in Mona, Vie- 

 ques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tortola. 

 Originally named and described from St. Croix in 

 1793. 



Public forests. — Cambalache, Guajataca, Gua- 

 nica, Rio Abajo, Susua. 



Municipality where especially common. — 

 13. 



Range. — Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puer- 

 to Rico and Virgin Islands. Also Central Ameri- 

 ca from British Honduras to Costa Rica. Planted 

 in southern Florida. 



Other common names. — cerezo, cerezo del pais, 

 palo de goma, muneco (Puerto Rico) ; West-In- 

 dian-cherry, wild capa (Virgin Islands) ; cerezo, 

 ateje de costa, ateje cimarron, atejillo (Cuba) ; 

 sombra de ternero (Honduras) ; buriogi-e amarillo, 

 muiieco, buriogre de montaiia (Costa Rica) ; bois 

 paupit, bois poupee (Haiti). 



Palo de muneca or manjack {Cordia collococ- 

 ca L. ; synonym C. glabra auth., not L.), called 

 also cerezo, is a related tree of Puerto Rico, Mona, 

 Culebra, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Tor- 

 tola, also through AVest Indies and from Mexico to 

 South America. It differs in the leaves dull rather 

 than shiny and the stalkless white flowers only 

 14 inch across. 



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