BIGNONIA FAMILY (BIGNONIACEAE) 



Key to the 7 species illustrated (Nos. 232-23S) 



A. Leaves crowded in clusters of 3-5 or more along the stout twigs, simple, spoon-shaped, 2-7 inches long, broadest 

 near the rounded or short-pointed apex — 232. Vresccntia cujcte. 

 AA. Leaves opposite. 



B. Leaves simple or digitate (palmately compound) with 2-5 leaflets. 

 C. Flowers with dark red corolla. 



D. Leaves with 5 or 3 elliptic leaflets — 235. Tabcbiiia haciitantha. 

 DD. Leaves simple, elliptic to ovate — 237. Tabebuia rigiila. 

 CC. Flowers with pink corolla ; leaves with 5 or fewer (sometimes only 1) unequal elliptic leaflets — 236. 

 Tabebuia lietero/jiiiiUa. 

 BB. Leaves pinnate or bipinnate. 

 E. Leaves once pinnate. 



F. Leaflets mostly 11-17, elliptic, not toothed, abruptly short-pointed — 234. Spathodea campanulata.* 

 FF. Leaflets 5-13, lance-shaped to elliptic, saw-toothed, long-pointed — 238. Tecotna stans. 

 EE. Leaves bipinnate, femlike — 233. Jacaranda mimosifolia.* 



232. Higuero, calabash-tree, common calabash-tree 



This familiar small tree, planted and wild, is 

 easily recognized by: (1) the few long spreading 

 branches forming a broad open crown; (2) en- 

 larged nodes on the stout light brown or gray 

 twigs; (3) the very large, hard, nearly round 

 (sometimes oval), green to brown fruits 4—12 

 inches in diameter, resembling gourds; (4) the 

 spoon-shaped leaves 2-7 inches long and %-2 

 inches broad, arranged in clusters along the stout 

 twigs; and (5) the light green bell-shaped flowers 

 2-214 inches long, borne singly on the trunk and 

 branches. 



A tree 20-30 feet or more in height and 1 foot 

 or more in trunk diameter, evergreen or deciduous 

 in areas with dry seasons. Bark on small trunks 

 is smoothish or slightly scaly, becoming much fis- 

 sured, light brown or gray, and i/o inch thick. The 

 inner bark is light brown, fibrous, and slightly 

 bitter. 



The leaves are mostly in clusters of 3-5 or more 

 (fascicled) on spurs (actually very short lateral 

 branches) for several feet along the stout twigs 

 but are also alternate near tips of slender twigs. 

 Spoon-shaped (spatulate) or reverse lance-shaped 

 (oblanceolate), the leaves are broadest near the 

 rounded apex (sometimes abruptly short-pointed) 

 and gradually narrowed to the stalkless or short- 

 stalked base, not toothed on edges, slightly thick- 

 ened and with prominent midrib, green and slight- 

 ly shiny on upper surface, paler beneath. 



Flowers and fruits are unusual in being pro- 

 duced directly on the trunk as well as on branches, 

 borne singly on stout stalks i/^-% inch long. The 

 leathery green calyx 5/^,-1 inch long splits deeply 

 into usually 2 broad lobes; the large, light green, 

 often purplish-streaked corolla is 2-21/0 inches 

 long, slightly thickened and fleshy, with a broad 

 irregular swollen tube oddly folded on 1 side and 

 with 5 short, wavy and irregularly toothed lobes 

 1% inches across; the 4 stamens are inserted in 

 corolla tube in 2 paii-s with large anthers visible ; 

 and the pistil on a disk has a 1-celled ovarv, very 

 slender style, and broad 2-lobed stigma. There is 

 an unpleasant odor suggesting rotten cabbage. 



Tlie giant fmits (berries) have thin hard shells 

 and whitish pulp and do not split open. The many 



Crescentia cujete L. 



seeds are dark brown, thin and flat, about 14 inch 

 long and broad. Flowering and fruiting through 

 the year. 



The sapwood is pinkish to reddish brown, and 

 the heartwood is light brown. The wood is moder- 

 ately hard, moderately heavy (specific gravity 0.6- 

 0.8), strong, and flexible. In Puerto Rico the 

 timber is cut only for fuel. However, other uses 

 are for tool handles, ox yokes, saddles, and vehicle 

 parts. 



Widely planted in Puerto Rico and through the 

 tropics for the fruits, from which bowls, cups, jugs, 

 water containers, and other utensils, as well as 

 ornaments and musical instniments, are fashioned, 

 often with decorations. Also classed as an orna- 

 mental. P21sewhere blocks of calabash bark and 

 wood as well as the trees have been used for grow- 

 ing orchids. The pulp of fruits is poisonous and 

 has been employed in local medicines. It is said 

 that the seeds are sometimes cooked and eaten. 



Easily propagated from seeds or cuttings but 

 slow growing. Through cidtivation trees with 

 larger fruits than the wild trees have been de- 

 veloped. It is reported that various shapes can be 

 obtained by tying and training the growing fruits. 



Hillsides, pastures, roadsides, and around coun- 

 try homes in the coastal, limestone, and lower 

 moimtain regions of Puerto Rico, more commonly 

 in the drier areas. Probably more frequent as a 

 planted tree or an escape than wild. Also Mona, 

 Desecheo, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and 

 Tortola. 



Range. — Widely distributed in tropical Ameri- 

 ca, native, planted and escaping, propably spread 

 somewhat throtigh cultivation. Florida Keys, 

 grown also in southern Florida and California, 

 and introduced in Bermuda. Throughout West 

 Indies from Bahamas and Cuba to Trinidad and 

 Dutch West Indies. Also from southern Mexico 

 to Peru and Brazil. Cultivated in the Old World 

 tropics. 



Otiieu common names. — guira, higiiero (Do- 

 minican Republic) ; giiira, calabasa (Cuba) ; cu- 

 jete, cirian, tecomate, guaje (Mexico) ; jicaro, 

 jicara (Central America) ; morro (Guatemala, 

 Honduras) ; guacal (El Salvador) ; calabacero 



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