MADDER FAMILY (RUBIACEAE) 



242. Cafeillo, false-coffee 



This shrub or small tree is distinguished by : ( 1 ) 

 very long lateral branches bearing numerous op- 

 posite leaves; (2) elliptic, shiny dark green leaves, 

 abruptly long-pointed at apex and short-pointed at 

 base, and with a pair of bristle-tipped scales 

 (stipules) 1/4 inch or more in length between each 

 2 leaves; (3) fragrant white flowers with narix>w 

 tube about % inch long and 4 widely spreading, 

 narrow, pointed corolla lobes about % inch long, 

 in loosely branched terminal and lateral clustere; 

 and (4) hard black fiiiits about % inch in diam- 

 eter, rounded but broader than long. 



Evergi'een shrub or small tree 10-30 feet or more 

 in height and 3 inches or more in trunk diameter. 

 The gray or brown bark is smoothish and slightly 

 fissured. Inner bark is light brown, almost taste- 

 less. Twigs are slender and gi-een with rings at 

 nodes. 



The leaves have petioles 14-14 inch long and 

 blades 3-6 inches long and 1-3 inches broad, not 

 toothed at edges, slightly thickened, and paler 

 green beneath. The foliage darkens or becomes 

 blackish upon di-j'ing. 



Flower clusters (panicles) are 1-4 inches long, 

 with few to several flowers on long slender stalks. 

 The tubular base (hypanthium) i/ie inc'i ^ong 

 bears a cup-shaped calyx more than i/iq inch long 

 with 4 minute teeth ; the white corolla has a narrow 

 tube % inch or less in length and 4 lobes; the 4 

 stamens are inserted in the mouth of corolla tube ; 

 and the pistil has an inferior 1-celled ovai-y, slen- 

 der style, and 2-forkecl stigma. Often flower buds 

 are deformed as insect galls, the corolla enlarged 

 near base and with very short lobes. 



Farantea occidentalis (L.) A. Rich. 



The fniits (drupes) have calyx remaining at 

 apex and contain 1 large rounded brown seed with 

 a depression on 1 side. Flowering in spring and 

 summer, the fruits maturing in summer and fall. 



The wood is light brown or yellow, hard, and 

 moderately heavy, and takes a good polish. Gen- 

 erally too small for other than fuelwood use in 

 Puerto Rico but reported as used m carpentry else- 

 where. 



Understory tree or shrub in forests of moist 

 limestone and lower mountain regions in Puerto 

 Rico. Also in Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. 

 John, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda. 



Public forests. -^ Luquillo, Guajataca, Rio 

 Abajo, Susiia. 



Range. — Through West Indies from Cuba and 

 Jamaica to Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. 

 Also from central Mexico through Central 

 America to Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and the 

 Guianas. 



Other common names. — palo de toro, cafe ci- 

 marron (Puerto Rico) ; cafetillo (Dominican Re- 

 public) ; hiquillo, cafe cimarron, jiicaro, jujano, 

 nabaco (Cuba) ; hueso (Mexico) ; cafecillo (Mex- 

 ico, El Salvador); huesito (Panama); cafecillo, 

 cafecillo de danta, jasmin de estrella (Venezuela) ; 

 jujamo, cafetillo de monte (Ecuador) ; wild-cof- 

 fee (. Jamaica, St. Kitts, Montserrat, St. Vincent, 

 Barbados) ; cafe marron, bois fleche (Guade- 

 loupe) . 



Botanical synonym. — Faramea odoratissima 

 DC. 



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