LAUREL FAMILY (LAURACEAE) 



44. Palo de misanteco, Gulf licaria 



Found lociilly in northern parts of Puerto Rico, 

 this species is characterized by: (1) spicy foliage, 

 twifis, and bark; (2) twigs reddish when youno;; 

 (3) narrowly elliptic leaves, slightly thickened, 

 many with a long tajjering point and short-pointed 

 at base; (4) the small wliitish flowers more than 

 ^16 inch long and broad, many in branclied clus- 

 ters 11/2"'^ inches long; and (5) the elli])tic green 

 or dark blue fruits % incli or more in lengtli, in a 

 large thick red cup about Yo inch long and broad 

 with double rim or margin. 



A small evergreen tree to -SO feet high and 8 

 inches in diameter with broad rounded crown. 

 Tlie bark is dark brown and flaky or scaly. The 

 slender twigs are finely hairy and with raised clots 

 (lenticels). 



The leaves are alternate on petioles i/4-i/^ inch 

 long. Blades are .'5-.5 inches long and 1-1% inches 

 broad, the edges not toothed, shiny dark green 

 above, paler beneath. 



Flower clusters (panicles) are terminal and lat- 

 eral, and have groups of small flowers on short, 

 slender, haii-y stalks. The tubular calyx has 6 

 lobes; the .I stamens are united into a fleshy hairy 

 tube or column ; and the i^istil has a l-cellecl ovary, 

 slender style, and protruding flattened stigma. 



Licaria triandra (Sw.) Kosterm. 



The fleshy fruits (berries) are few in a cluster 

 and 1-seeded. The cup has a second rim about i/8 

 inch below the edge and is warty. Recorded in 

 flower in May and in fruit in ]\Iay and July. 



The wood is described as ash colored or greenish 

 yellow, strong, and heavy (s]3ecific gi-avity 0.9). 

 Used for posts in Puerto Rico. Re])orted as suit- 

 able for interior construction and used for matches 

 and matchboxes in Dominican Republic. 



This s]3ecies has been suggested as a shade tree 

 for southern Florida and Cuba. 



In forests of the moist limestone region of 

 Puerto Rico. Also in Vieques. 



Public forest. — Guajataca. 



Range. — Greater Antilles and Martinique. 

 Also very rare in southern Florida. 



Other cojiMnx names. — misanteco, palo misan- 

 teco (Puerto Rico) ; cigua prieta (Dominican Re- 

 public) ; lebisa, leviza, laurel de loma, laurel 

 bianco (Cuba) ; Gulf licaria. Gulf misanteca 

 (United States) ; sweetwood (Jamaica) ; laurier 

 jaune (Haiti). 



Botanical synonyms. — Misanteca triandra 

 (Sw.) Mez, Acrodididhini fnandrum (Sw.) Lun- 

 dell, A. jainairen.se Nees, Licaria jamaicensis 

 (Nees) Kosterm. 



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