MADDER FAMILY (RUBIACEAE) 



244. Palo de cucubano, "greenheart," roughleaf velvetseed 



Guettarda scabra (L.) Vent. 



This coiiiiiion small tree with very rough leaves 

 is recognized by: (1) opposite, small, elliptic or 

 ovate leaves which are thick and stitT, with edges 

 turned under, very rough on upper surface, and 

 finely hairy with very prominent raised network 

 of small veins on lower surface; ('2) narrow, hairy, 

 white to brown flowers %-! inch long, tubular and 

 6-8-lobed, several crowdetl together at end of a 

 lateral stalk; and (;>) rounded, red, velvety hairy, 

 fleshy fruits Vi-V2 i'^""!^ i'^ diameter. 



An evergreen small tree 10-15 feet or more in 

 heiglit and to 4 inches in trunk diameter with 

 open, spreading crown, or shrubby. The bark is 

 gray, smooth, and thin, on larger trunks peeling 

 off in small thin flakes and slightly mottled. In- 

 ner bark is whitish or light brown, almost taste- 

 less or slightly bitter. The twigs are green and 

 brown hairy wiien young, becoming gray. 



The leaves iiave petioles Vs-% i'^ch long, hairy 

 when young, and a pair of narrow, pointed, hairy- 

 scales (stipules) 3/jg inch long at the base. Blades 

 are 1-31/2 inches long and %-2 inches broad, short- 

 pointed and with minute sharp point at apex, 

 rounded or slightly heart-shaped at base. The 

 upper surface is green, rough hairy (sometimes 

 nearly smootli), slightly shiny, and with veins a 

 little sunken, and the lower surface is paler. 



Usually several or a few fragrant flowers, hairy 

 and stalkless, are borne on a headlike cluster 

 (cyme) at the end of an erect slender hairy flower 

 stalk %-3 inches long. The short tubular base 

 (hypanthium) and irregularly i2-lobed calyx tube 

 together are nearly %e inch long ; the corolla has 

 a narrow tube al)()ut % inch long and 6-8 spread- 

 ing lobes % inch across, white (sometimes pink- 

 ish) but turning to brown: stamens as many as 

 the corolla lobes, inserted almost stalkless near 

 mouth of tube ; and pistil consists of inferior ovary 

 with usually 4-6 cells, slender style, and rounded 

 stigma. Fruits (drupes) are broader than long, 

 with a large stone containing a few seeds. Flower- 

 ing and fruiting irregularly through the year. 



The sapwond is light brown and hard. A spe- 

 cific gravity of about US has been recorded. Used 

 only for stakes and fuel. 



Common in open areas, clearings, and thickets 

 in the coastal, moist limestone, and lower moun- 

 tain regions of Puerto Rico. Also in Vieques, St. 

 (^roix, St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, and Virgin 

 Gorda. ^ 



PiBLic FonESTs. — Cambalache, Guajataca,Mari- 

 cao, Rio Abajo, Susiia, Vega. 



MrNiciPALmEs where especially common. — 

 64, 74. 



Range. — Southern Florida including Florida 

 Keys and through West Indies from Bahamas and 



Cuba to Trinidad and Tobago, Margarita (Vene- 

 zuela), and other islands off coast of Venezuela. 

 Also recorded long ago from Jamaica. 



Other common names. — palo de dajao, serra- 

 suela (Puerto Rico) ; "greenheart" (Virgin Is- 

 lands) ; carapacho, chicharron de monte (Cuba) ; 

 roughleaf velvetseed, rough velvetseed (United 

 States); rough velvetseed, velvet-berry (Baha- 

 mas); craw-wood (Barbuda); candlewoocl (An- 

 tigua) ; bois madame, bois noire (St. Lucia) ; ju- 

 niper (Grenada); blue copper (Tobago); bois 

 madame, goyavier batard (Guadeloupe) ; candle- 

 wood, wild guave (St. Martin, Saba, St. Eusta- 

 tius). 



Though called "greenheart" in the Virgin Is- 

 lands, tliis small tree is unrelated to the valuable 

 timber greenheart or Demerara greenheart {Oco- 

 iea rodinei ( R. Schomb. ) Mez) , of British Guiana. 



Five related species of trees all have the leaves 

 smooth above. The first 3 below have flowers 

 about 34 inch long, and the last 2 liave smaller 

 flowers less than 1/2 "ich long. Cucubano {Giiet- 

 tarda laevh Urban), known only from mountain 

 forests of western Puerto Rico, has attractive use- 

 ful wood described in "Puerto Rican Woods" and 

 available in small sizes. It has broadly ovate to 

 elliptic leaves 11/2-5 inches long, slightly thick- 

 ened, hairless except for minute hairs on veins be- 

 neath, and petioles hairless or minutely hairy. 



Guettaixla oralifolki Urban, of central and west- 

 ern Puerto Rico, mostly in mountains, and also 

 Hispaniola, has broadly ovate to elliptic leaves 

 2^14 inches long, thin, upper surface nearly hair- 

 less and with veins in prominent network, lower 

 surface hairy on veins, and petioles haii-y. 



Guettarda krugii Urban, of coastal thickets of 

 southwestern Puerto Rico and also Bahamas, has 

 ovate to elliptic leaves 114-4 inches long, thick and 

 leathery, hairless above, the lower surface densely 

 hairy and with prominent network of veins. 



Guettarda parvifoi^a Vahl is found in southern 

 Puerto Rico, Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. 

 John, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda, and Lesser An- 

 tilles south to northern South America. It has 

 small oblong to elliptic leaves 3/4-1^/4 inches long, 

 thin, shiny above, and hairless or nearly so be- 

 neath. 



Guettarda elliptica Sw. grows mostly in coastal 

 thickets of southern and eastern Puerto Rico, St. 

 Thomas, Muertos, Desecheo, and Mona, west to 

 Florida, where known as Everglades dropseed; 

 also in Mexico and Venezuela. It has small ellip- 

 tic leaves %-2% inches long, thiii, dull and nearly 

 hairless above, and beneath with fine, pressed, 

 silky hairs. 



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