THE ISLAND OF PORTO RICO 149 



trouble to record their observations. The sum total of 

 the scientific literature of the island since the days of 

 Humboldt would hardly fill a page of this book. 



Porto Rico has long been famous for the beauty of its 

 flora ; but little study has been made of it. The island is 

 especially noted for the number and size of its trees, par- 

 ticularly those of the forests of the higher regions, which 

 still persist in their primeval grandeur, the forestry regula- 

 tions having been more wisely observed than elsewhere in 

 the West Indies. These forests, which in a general man- 

 ner resemble those of the other islands, are largely desti- 

 tute of epiphytes and other parasitic vegetation, such as 

 ordinarily mantle the tropical trees, except orchids. 



Among the notable trees mentioned by Eggers are sev- 

 eral species of palms (Euterpe) ; a beautiful tillandsia, with 

 immense odorous flowers and silvery leaves, its wood, 

 called sabrhto, being used for timber*, a hirtella, with crim- 

 son flowersf an unknown species with beautiful orange- 

 like foliage and purple flowers; a tall lobelia; and a 

 large heliconia. The tree-ferns are also represented by two 

 species. Another conspicuous tree forming extensive 

 woods is the Cocoloba macrophylla, with immense purple 

 spikes more than a yard long. A hard wood called auubo 

 is common upon the island, which is much used for the 

 construction of building-frames. Hard and soft Spanish 

 cedar, ebony, and the West Indian sandalwood the non- 

 fragrant kind commonly used for making the backs of hair- 

 brushes are common. There are also many other excel- 

 lent woods for construction, locally known as capo blanca, 

 capo prieto, laurel, willow, guyacan, near, espegnelo, moca, 

 maricao, ortegon, tachuelo, cedro, cojoba, acetillo, gura- 

 guao, algarrobo, maga, yaiti, palo santo, tortuguillo, zerre- 

 zuele, and guyarote. 



The natives enumerate over twenty-eight medicinal 

 plants; a dozen which are used for condiments; twelve 

 useful for dyes and tanning; eight resinous trees; and 

 many large trees which have edible fruits, such as pines in 



