148. Cascarroya 



BUCKTHORN FAMILY (RHAMNACEAE) 



Sarcomphalus reticulatus (Vahl) Urban 



This small tree of dry forests is distinguished 

 by: (1) small gi'ay or brown spines %-% inch 

 long, paired or single at some nodes; (2) densely 

 rusty hairy twigs; (3) mostly small, thickened, 

 still' and brittle elliptic leaves 1-3 inches long and 

 %-2 inches broad, rounded at both ends, with 3 

 main veins from base, the lower surface with prom- 

 inent network of raised veins and finely soft hairy ; 

 (4) many small yellow-green 5-parted flowers %6 

 inch across, finely and densely hairy, in branched 

 clusters; and (5) elliptic brown fruits %-% inch 

 long, with bi-own hairy base V-i hich across. 



An evergreen tree or shrub to 20 feet high and 

 4 inclies in trunk diameter. The dark gray or 

 brown bark is smoothish. Inner bark is dark red, 

 gritty, and tasteless. The brown or gray twigs are 

 angled when young. 



The alternate leaves have short hairy petioles 

 about Ys inch long. Leaf blades are often slight- 

 ly heart-shaped at base, with edges often minute- 

 ly toothed and turned imder, the upper surface 

 green to dark green, dull or a little shiny, finely 

 hairy or becoming nearly hairless, with slightly 

 sunken veins, and the lower surface light green. 



The flower clusters (panicles) are mostly ter- 

 minal, 1/2-21/4 inches long, densely hairy, and bear 

 many crowded, almost stalkless, slightly fragrant 

 flowers less than Vs "ich long. The conical green 

 haii-y base (hypanthium) y^g inch long bears 5 

 spreading, pointed, yellow-green sepals Vie hich 

 long, haii-y on outside, 5 minute long-stalked con- 

 cave pale yellow petals Yiq inch long, and 5 sta- 

 mens opposite the petals and the same length ; and 

 within the yellow-green disk is the pistil Vie inch 



long composed of a green hairy 3-celled ovary and 

 3 styles united below. 



The fruits (drupes), a few in a cluster, are 

 slightly longer than broad, light green and turn- 

 ing to brown, finely hairy or hairless. The large 

 stone encloses 3 or fewer .shiny brown flattened 

 seeds. Flowering and fruiting in summer. 



The wood is light brown or yellowish, hard, and 

 heavy (specific gravity 0.9). Used in Puerto 

 Rico for posts. 



In Dominican Republic hogs and goats eat the 

 fruits. Reported to be a honey plant. 



Forests and thickets of the dry limestone re- 

 gion of southwestern Puerto Rico. Also in Caja 

 de Muertos, St. Croix, and Tortola. 



Public forest. — Guanica. 



Range. — Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Virgin 

 Islands, and Lesser Antilles at Barbuda and Long 

 Island near Antigua. 



Other common names. — cacao rojo, azufaito, 

 cascarilla, espejuelo (Puerto Rico) ; saona cimar- 

 rona, saona de puerco, sopaipo (Dominican Repub- 

 lic) ; coquemolle (Haiti). 



A related tree species (Sarcomphahis domin- 

 ffen.'iis (Spreng.) Krug & Urban) has the twigs, 

 leaves, and flowers all hairless. It is recorded from 

 the British Virgin Islands, Vieques, and the north- 

 eastern end of Puerto Rico. 



Another species (Sarcomphalus taylorii Brit- 

 ton), a shrub or small tree of Mona Island and Ba- 

 hamas, has obovate leaves less than 1 inch long, 

 bright green on both sides, and notched or 

 rounded at apex. 



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