SOAPBERRY FAMILY (SAPINDACEAE) 



Key to the 6 species illustrated (Nos. 13S-143) 



A. Leaves simple, elliptic, the edges finely toothed — 142. Tliouinia portoricensis. 

 AA. Leaves compound. 



B. Leaflets 3, elliptic or obovate, broadest beyond middle, short-pointed at both ends, toothed on edges — 143. 

 Tliouinia striata. 

 BB. Leaflets pinnate, 4 or more (sometimes only 2). 



C. Leaflets 4-S, not paired, with wavy-toothed edges, elliptic, those toward apex largest, rounded or notched 

 at apex — 13S. Cupania ainericana. 

 CC. Leaflets mostly paired, not toothed. 



D. Leaflets 2-8, rounded or blunt-ixiinted at apex, on slender reddish or dark brown axis; fruit a 

 flattened seed capsule — 139. Matayba domiiKjcnsis. 

 DD. Leaflets long- or short-pointed at both ends, on axis often winged; fruit round, fleshy. 



E. Leaflets 4, the pair at apex larger, fruit "/s-l^ inches in diameter, edible — 140. Melicoccus 

 bijiigatus.* 

 EE. Leaflets usually 6-12, sometimes only 1 at end : fruit %-l inch in diameter, yellow, inedible — 141. 

 Sapiiitlus saponaria. 



138. Guara 



Cupania americana L. 



This tree is characterized by : (1 ) twigs and leaf 

 axes brown hairy ; (2) pinnate leaves with 4-8 al- 

 ternate elliptic or obovate leaflets, those toward 

 apex largest, rounded or notched at apex, short- 

 pointed at base, with wavy toothed edges, the up- 

 per surface shiny green and hairy only on veins, 

 and the lower surface paler and densely soft 

 hairy; (3) numerous small whitish 5-parted flow- 

 ers Vs ii^ch across, in mostly terminal branched 

 clusters; and (4) the rounded seed capsules i/^-% 

 inch long, bluntly 3-lobed, velvety -brown or rusty- 

 brown hairy, splitting into 3 parts and exposing 3 

 rounded shiny blackish seeds %6 i^ch long, each 

 in an orange cup. 



A small to medium-sized evergreen tree attain- 

 ing 20-50 feet in height and 10 inches in trunk 

 diameter with a broadly spreading rounded crown. 

 The gray bark is smoothish or becoming rough and 

 fissured into plates. Inner bark is light brown and 

 slightly bitter. The twigs are stout. 



The leaves are alternate, 5-10 inches long, with 

 stout axes. Leaflets have short hairy stalks Yg-y^ 

 inch long and blades 1 1/0-6 inches long and %-2% 

 inches broad and slightly thickened. 



The flower clusters (panicles) 4-8 inches long 

 have brown hairy branches. Flowers are male, 

 female, and bisexual (polygamous). There are 5 

 hairy sepals nearly i/g inch long; 5 hairy, narrow 

 stalked petals about as long as sepals, each with 2 

 scales on the outer edges ; 8 stamens on a disk ; and 

 pistil composed of hairy 3-celled ovary with short 

 style and 3 stigmas. 



Seed capsules commonly are many and crowded 

 in terminal branched clusters, short-stalked at 



base, opening widely into 3 parts, retaining the 3 

 seeds attached for some time. Flowering in winter 

 and early spring (December to March) and ma- 

 turing fruits in spring and summer. 



The wood is light brown and hard, of medimn 

 weight (specific gravity 0.4). Very susceptible to 

 attack by dry-wood termites. Used in Puerto Rico 

 chiefly for posts and poles and elsewhere for con- 

 struction and shipbuilding. 



This species has been suggested as an ornamental 

 and shade tree. The seeds and leaves sometimes 

 serve for medicinal puiposes. Also a honey plant. 



Forests, especially along streams, in the moist 

 coast, moist limestone, and lower mountain regions 

 of Puerto Rico. 



Public forests. —Cambalache, Carite, Guaja- 

 taca, Luquillo, Maricao, Rio Abajo, Susiia, Vega. 



Range. — Greater Antilles and in Lesser Antilles 

 only in Dominica, Martinique, and Barbados, and 

 in Trinidad and Tobago. Also in Colombia and 

 Venezuela. 



Other common names. — guara blanca (Puerto 

 Rico) ; guarana, guara (Dominican Republic) ; 

 guara, guara comiin, guarano, guarana macho, 

 guarana hembra (Cuba) ; guacharaco (Colom- 

 bia) ; guara, patillo. zapatero, cabimo, guamo 

 guara, guamo matias (Venezuela) ; candlewood- 

 tree (Barbados) ; maraquil (Trinidad) ; bois de 

 satanier (Haiti). 



A closely related species of guara (Cupania 

 triqii^fra A. Rich.) in Puerto Rico differs in hav- 

 ing twigs and seed capsules with shorter yellow- 

 brown hairs and the seed capsules sharply 3-angled 

 and on longer stalks. 



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