224 THE PLANT WOKLD 



markings. It is mucli used for cabinet-work, musical instruments, 

 canes, etc. 



Hymenoea courharil, quiebra haclia, a bigli spreading tree witli 

 exceedingly hard and compact wood well deser\ing its name of ax- 

 breaker. 



Belairia mucronata, jamaguey, with compact, heavy, fine-grained, 

 light-colored wood. 



Lysiloma sahicu, sabicu, a large tree with wood having all the qual- 

 ities of mahogany, but lighter colored, and almost indestructible. 



Poeppigia procera, tengue, medium-sized tree with dark, brick- 

 colored heartwood beautifully veined. 



Andira inermis, yaba, a rather common medium-sized tree with 

 wood of variable color from reddish to dark brown and yellow; much 

 esteemed for the construction of boats. 



The mesquite {Prosopis JnUftora), so common from Texas to South 

 America, and in Jamaica, is not found in Cuba. Acacia Farnesiana is 

 found in all parts of the island, but never larger than a small strag- 

 gling shrub; whoever has seen it in Texas (the huisache of San Anto- 

 nio) as a shapely tree, a foot or more in diameter, wonders at such de- 

 generation in the tropics. 



Among Sapotaceae may be mentioned: 



Bassia albescens, acana, of large size, with edible fruit and reddish, 

 almost indestmctible wood; Dipjholis salicifoUa, cocuyo, a large fra- 

 grant tree with very strong, compact, elastic wood, dark yellow with 

 black veins; Sideroxylon masticliodendron, jocuma prieta, a common 

 medium-sized tree with dark, very hard, compact wood. 



Other timber trees equally valuable for their hard, strong, compact, 

 heavy, durable, often richly colored wood, but which can only be enum- 

 erated here, are: Hibiscus tiliaceiis, majagua; Ouajacum officinale, Gua- 

 yacan; Cordia gerascantJioides, varia; Guazuma rdmi folia and G. tomen- 

 tosa, guasima; Calicophyllum. candidissimum, dagame; Guettarda longi- 

 fora and G. scabra, cuero; ChrysophyUum oliviforme, caimitillo; Oxan- 

 dra virgata, yaya; Cameraria latifoUa, maboa; Laplacea Curtyana, 

 almendro: Chuncoa obovata. chicharron prieto; Bucida capitata, jucaro 

 prieto; Zanthoxylum bombaci folium, agua amarilla; 3Iaclura tinctoria, 

 fustete; Thiodia loetioides, guaguasi; Tecoma longijiora, roble real; Byr- 

 sonimia lucida, carne de doncella. 



The oak family is represented solely by Quercus virens in Pinar del 

 Rio, where it is neither abundant nor of large size. 



Of conifers, apparently only one pine is known, Pinus Cubensis, 

 common in Pinar del Rio as a small or medium-sized tree, but much 

 larger on the Isle of Pines. Three species of Podocarpus are described, 

 P. Purdieanus, very large tree in southeastern Cuba, P. coriaceus and P. 



