heartwood is light brown to light chocolate brown. 

 The wood is moderately hard and is resistant to 

 attack by dry- wood termites. Used for shade and 

 fuel. In India the wood has been employed for 

 construction and agricultural implements. 



Introduced by the Commonwealth Forest Serv- 

 ice in 1924 and sparingly planted in Puerto Rico, 

 such as along roadsides for shade and fenceposts 

 in the dry areas and in gardens. The propagation 

 of this species for farm plantings was increased 

 during the 1940's because it was considered a 

 promising rapid-gi'owing fuelwood species for the 



coastal and lower moiuitain regions. The trees 

 may be raised from seed or cuttings. However, 

 most of the trees have suffered severely from a 

 fungus disease which causes dieback or death. For 

 this reason the species is no longer pi'opagated. 

 Listed from St. Thomas moi'e than a century ago. 



Range. — Native of tropical Asia from India to 

 China and to Australia. Apparently an uncom- 

 mon introduced tree in the Amei'ican tropics. 

 Sometimes planted in southern Florida. 



Other common najies. — acacia (Puerto Rico) ; 

 tall albizia, white siris (English). 



LEGUME FAMILY (LEGUMINOSAE) 



MIMOSA SUBFAMILY (MIMOSOIDEAE; MIMOSACEAE) 



62. Guama, "sweetpea" Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd. 



Guania, which is commonly used for coiTee 

 shade, is characterized by: (1) alternate pinnate 

 hairless leaves with leaflets usually 2 jjairs (some- 

 times 1 pair), green to dark green, elliptic or 

 ovate, the outermost leaflets usually considerably 

 larger than the first pair, slightly thickened, near- 

 ly stalkless, and with a minute round gland on the 

 wingless axis between each pair; (2) many white 

 brushlike flowers with numerous spreading sta- 

 mens and 1 inch across on an axis 3-6 inches long; 



(3) flat pods 21/2-41/^ inches long and 34-I14 inches 

 thick, slightly curved and with raised border; and 



(4) whitish bark with prominent horizontal dark 

 lines (lenticels). 



A medium-sized evergreen tree 50-70 feet high 

 and 11/2 feet in trunk diameter, with a rounded 

 dense crown of dark gi-een foliage. The inner 

 bark is reddish and slightly bitter. The twigs are 

 green when young, turning brown, with many 

 raised dots (lenticels). 



Leaves are mostly 3-8 inches lone, the slender 

 green axis 1—4 inches long. Leaflet blades are 

 2-4 inches long and 1-2 inches wide, blunt- or 

 short-pointed at apex, short -pointed and slightly 

 oblique at base, slightly shiny above, pale green 

 beneath, not toothed on edges. 



Flower clusters (spikes) are lateral or terminal, 

 single or paired, many slightly fragrant stalkless 

 flowers being borne on a slender axis. The in- 

 dividual flower, about %-% inch long to end of 

 the stamens, has a greenish tubular 5-toothed calyx 

 less than % inch long; greenish funnel-shaped 

 tubular 5-lobed corolla more than i/j inch long; 

 many spreading white threadlike stamens %-% 

 inch long, united into tube in lower part ; and 

 pistil % inch long composed of slender ovai-y and 

 threadlike style. Often the flower cluster is de- 

 foriiied and much branched as in a witches'-bi-oom. 



The pods are Vs-^e inch thick, rounded at both 

 ends, green when immature, turning bi-own, al- 

 most without edible pulp around the several seeds, 

 not splitting open. Flowering and fruiting 

 through the year. 



The sapwood is whitish, and the attractive heart- 

 wood pale reddish brown, often streaked with 

 darker bi'own. The wood is moderately hard, 

 moderately heavy (specific gravity 0.62), coarse- 

 textured, strong, tough, and easily worked. It is 

 very susceptible to decay and to attack by dry- 

 wood termites. The rate of air-seasoning is rapid, 

 and amount of degrade is moderate. Machining 

 characteristics are as follows: planing, turning, 

 boring, mortising, and resistance to screw splitting 

 are good ; shaj)ing is fair; and sanding is excellent. 



The wood is suitable for furnitui-e, cabinetwork, 

 too] handles, interior trim, general and heavy con- 

 struction, crates, boxes, and flooring and has been 

 recommended for veneer and plywood. However, 

 in Puerto Rico it is seldom used except for fuel, 

 charcoal, and fenceposts. 



The trees are planted extensively for coffee 

 shade and elsewhere for shade for cacao also. 

 This is an important honey plant. 



Forests and coffee plantations in the moist coast, 

 moist limestone, the lower mountain, and the 

 upper Cordillera regions of Puerto Rico. Also 

 in Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. Jolm, 

 Toi-tola, and Virgin Gorda. 



Public forests. — Cambalache, Carite, Guaia- 

 taca, Guanica, Guilarte, Luquillo, Maricao, Rio 

 Abajo. Susua, Toro Negro, Vega. 



Municipalities where especially common. — 

 6, 47, 53, 59. 



Range. — West Indies from Hispaniola and 

 Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands to Grenada and 

 Barbados and Trinidad, and in northeastern Vene- 

 zuela (Sucre). Also from western Mexico (Jalis- 

 co and Ciuerrero) and Guatemala to Panama. 

 Introduced into Cuba for coffee shade. 



Other common names. — Spanish-oak, pom- 

 shock (Virgin Islands) ; jina (Dominican Repub- 

 lic) ; guama de Puerto Rico (Cuba) ; palal (Guate- 

 mala) ; cujinicuil, paternillo, chapernillo (El 

 Salvador) ; guavo (Panama) ; sackysac (Trini- 

 dad) ; Spanish-oak (Montserrat, Barbados) ; pois 

 doux, pois doux blanc (Guadeloupe) ; pois doux 

 (Martinique). 



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