THE PLANT WOELD 223 



cuUa Carthaginensis, called anacalinite by the natives, but very different 

 from the Mexican anacalmite {Cordia Boissieri). It is common in San- 

 tiago, but rare about Havana. Its strong, tortuous, wide-si)reading 

 limbs and dense foliage sometimes afford ample shade for a dozen fam- 

 ilies. The large capsules contain bluish, very palatable seeds. 



Oftentimes, as one looks up a wooded slope, masses of brilliant 

 white are seen swaying in the breeze, as if much of the slope was in 

 bloom; this optical illusion is produced by the snow-white under sur- 

 face of the mo\dng, broad, palmate leaves of Cecropia peltafa, a near 

 relative of the bread-fruit tree, and sometimes mistaken for it. The 

 wood of its cylindrical, annulated tiaiuk is soft and useless. 



Bamhusa vulgaris, the common bamboo of Cuba, with stems often 

 four to six inches in diameter (thicker in Santiago than in Havana) and 

 sixty feet high, forming above long nodding plumes of tender green, 

 deserves the distinction of being mentioned among trees. It is most 

 frequent on lowlands, being thriftiest near watercourses, but it is also 

 sometimes seen growing on high slopes and even on the very hilltops. 

 In favorable localities the stems grow in thick clusters not unlike the 

 fluted pillars of gothic cathedrals, the tops spreading above and form- 

 ing arches through which is ever heard the murmuring breeze. 



The stem being hollow, with tight partitions at the nodes, is very 

 useful as bucket and water canteen. By boring through two or three 

 partitions, segments of stem four or five feet long can thus be utilized 

 and carried slung on the back like a gun. During the siege of Santi- 

 ago all the water used on San Juan Hill was hauled up in bamboo 

 stems. 



Of timber hardwood trees Cuba has a number of valuable species. 

 The first place belongs to the mahogany {Sivietenia maliagoni), and the 

 allied West Indian cedar (Cerfre/a orforafa), both large, high trees for- 

 merly common all over the island, now only found in interior forests. 

 The mahogany of Cuba is particularlj' hard and fine grained, much 

 superior to that from Honduras which now mostly sujiplies the Ameri- 

 can market. Cedar wood is reddish-brown with a pleasant odor, and 

 formerly entered largely into the construction of the best Cuban houses. 

 Both woods are a common material ol the doors, shutters, floors, ceil- 

 ings and beams of old buildings, and during the war in Santiago were 

 commonly burned as fuel. 



Among valuable leguminous hardwood timber trees may be men- 

 tioned: 



Braya ebenuH, ebony, granadillo, a small tree, rather common, with 

 ver}' hard, heavy wood, sometimes pure ebony black, but generally 

 ranging in color from yellow to deep brown with sharply defined inky 

 bands and blotches, or again nearly black with clearly cut whitish 



