SPURGE FAMILY (EUPHORBIACEAE) 



129. Tabaiba 



A mediuin-sized poisonous tree of moist forests 

 confined to Puerto Rico, easily recognized by : (1) 

 abundant irritating and poisonous milky juice; 

 (2) the oblong or elliptic dark green leaves, 

 slightly thickened and shiny, with many straight 

 parallel lateral veins almost at right angles to mid- 

 rib and 2 raised dotlike glands at upper end of 

 petiole; and (3) the small yellowish-green flowere 

 stalkless on narrow lateral axes %-2 inches long, 

 mostly male with 1 or a few female flowei-s often 

 present at base (monoecious). 



An evergreen tree 20-fiO feet high and to 2 feet 

 in tiimk diameter, with a columnar crown. The 

 light brown bark is smoothish or slightly fissui-ed 

 and thin. Inner bark is whitish,- its thick white 

 latex causing a lingering irritation in the mouth 

 when tasted. The twigs are green, becoming 

 brown or gi'ay. 



The alternate leaves have green petioles 1/4-1^,4 

 inches long and blades mostly 21/2-6 inches long 

 and 11.^-214 inches broad, sometimes to 8 inches 

 long and 2% inches wide. They are abruptly 

 short-pointed at apex and short-pointed or 

 rounded at base, finely and inconspicuously 

 toothed or almost without teeth, paler and slightly 

 shiny on lower surface. 



Near the ends of twigs are located the green 

 flower clustei-s (spikes). Male flowei-s, in groups 

 of 3-9 above a broad romided scale, are about Vir 

 inch long and broad, yellow green, and consist of 

 a cup-shaped 2-toothed calyx and 2 stamens. Fe- 

 male flowers when present at base of axis are 

 borne singly and are long and narrow, V8~%6 ii^oh 

 long, green, composed of a cup-shaped 3-lobed 

 calyx and pistil with ovary and 3 styles. 



The seed capsules are nearly round or slightly 

 3-angled, about % inch in diameter, green, turning 



Sapium laurocerasus Desf. 



brown, slightly fleshy but becoming di-y, with 3 

 white seeds about I/4 inch long. Flowering and 

 fruiting from spring to fall. 



The sapwood is wjiitish, and the heartwood light 

 brown or light yellow. The wood is soft, light- 

 weight (specific gravity 0.38), mostly fine-tex- 

 tured except for many large pores, with grain fre- 

 quently tightly interlocked, and without visible 

 growth rings. Rate of air-seasoning and amount 

 of degrade are moderate. Machining character- 

 istics are as follows: planing is excellent ; shaping 

 and turning are fair; boring and mortising are 

 poor ; sanding is very poor ; and resistance to screw 

 splitting is good. The wood is very susceptible to 

 attack by dry-wood termites and other insects and 

 to decay. Sap-staining fungi discolor freshly cut 

 wood if it is neither dipped in fungicide nor dried 

 promptly. 



Though cut occasionally for posts, the wood is 

 unjropular l>ecause the caustic latex injures the 

 skin. It is suitable for boxes, crates, interior con- 

 struction, jiaper pulp, and plywood. Latex of re- 

 lated South American species has been a minor 

 source of rubber. 



In forests of the lower and upper mountain and 

 moist limestone regions of Puerto Rico. Also re- 

 ported long ago from St. John but not seen in 

 flower there. Sterile specimens possibly of this 

 species were collected at Tortola in 1954. 



Public forests. — Carite, Guilarte, Luquillo, 

 Ri'o Abajo, Toro Negi-o. 



Municipalities where espbciallt common. — 

 1, 10, 35. 



Range. — Known definitely only from Puerto 

 Rico. 



Other common names. — manzanillo, lechecillo 

 (Puerto Rico). 



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