Vol. XVIII. No. 460. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



3S7 



THE SEASIDE GRAPE TREE. 



An interesting and well illustrated article on this 

 •well known tropical American tree was contributed to 

 •the August number of the Cuba lieview by Mr. C. H. 

 Pearson, which is reproduced below : — 



Sea grape is the usual name given to an interestinn 

 tropical American tree that is botanically known as Coccoloba 

 uvifera. The generic name Coccoloba comes from two Latin 

 words, coccus, meaning berry, and loba, a lobe, having 

 refereece to the peculiarity of the calyx lobes of the flower 

 which surrounds the ripe fruit The specific term uvifera, is 

 Irom the Latin uva, grape and fero to bear, meaning grape- 

 bearing. The fruits occur in clusters of pear-shaped purple 

 berries about the size of small grapes. It is for this reason 

 that the tree is variously known as grape, mangrove grape, 

 wild grape, sea grape, seaside grape, seaside plum, round 

 leaved seaside plum, and pigeon wood tree. It is less often 

 ■referred to as the Americin, Jamaican, and West Indian kino 

 tree. The following Spanish names of this tree likewise have 

 reference to the peculiar character of the fruit : uva caleta, 

 uva mar, uvero, and uverillo. 



The names listed indicite clearly that the tree is largely 

 •confined in its range of growth to the seacoast. The name 

 mangrove grape infers that the tree grows among the man- 

 grove trees, which do nit thrive beyimd the limits of high 

 tide. In fact, next to the mangrove it is said to be the 

 commonest tree on the shores of Cuba," as well as in other 

 parts of the West Indies. The sea grape is very common in 

 southern Florida from Cape Canavoral southward. It is 

 found on all the West Indian islands and on the tropical 

 parts of the Spanish Main. The tree is not wholly confined 

 to sea-shore, but in Cuba and .Jamaica, where it finds its 

 best development, it grows iu the moist woods of the interior 

 at elevations of .500 feet or more. Very little 's known in 

 ■reference to the distribution of the sea grape in South 

 America. The shores of the Ciribbean Sea afford the most 

 congenial conditions for the growth. 



In a range so large, and including situations s<. various, 

 it is natural that the tree should vary greatly in size. Gen- 

 erally speaking, the sea grape is only a low shrub in many 

 parts of the we.st coast of Florida It rarely grows to be 

 more than 20 feet in height and 1 foot in diameter. 

 In poor seaside sand the trees r^ main small and bushy, while 

 in good soil, and protected from th« strong ocean winds they 

 often attain a height of from 25 to 60 teet, and from 18 to 24 

 ■inches or more in diameter. There is perhaps no tree m the 

 tropics better distinguished from rihers, even by those who 

 possess but little knowledge on the subject, thin the sea 

 grape. The young branches are .Muaoth and gray, but the 

 older ones and the trunks have a r.mgh bark full of tisaures. 

 The leaves are remarkable for their large size ; they are nearly 

 round, with a narrow cleft at the base, where they are attach- 

 ed to very short leaf-stalks, which single it out from most 

 other trees. According to Oviedo, thff Spaniards used the 

 wide leaves of tnis tree to write on with the point of a bod- 

 kin They are sometimes covered with a slight gummy 

 exudation that has an astringent taste similar to the extract 

 of kino. The berries, which are eaten like grapes, have a 

 refreshing, agreeable, subacid taste. 



As a timber-yielding tree, it holds a tar 

 more prominent rank than is generally supposed. in 

 Cuba, .Tamaica ani Porto Rico it furnishes an economic 

 wood of considerable local importance. It has been 

 described as being hard, heavy, stroiig, tough and 

 durable in contact with the soil. It is dark brown, 

 tinged with red, or sometimes slightly violet-coloured. L pon 



boiling the wood in water or in dilute alkaline solation, it 

 imparts a ruby-red colour to the wat«r. The wood possesses 

 many valuable properties, and when it occurs in large sizes it 

 is deemed among the finest woods for many important ase.s. 

 In Cuba and Jamaica it is employed extensively lor making 

 expensive cabinet work and fine furniture. Although it 

 is hard and compact, it work^witb considerable ease, and has 

 a very fine grain and is susceptible of a good polish. Th-a 

 pores are very small and evenly clistributed throuijhoit the 

 annual rings of growth, which are scarcely visible to the 

 unaided eye. 



The timber and the fiuit of this tree do not constitute 

 the only products it yields. An astringent resinous substam^ 

 or concrete juice, called West Indian kino in the trade, is 

 obtained from this interesting tree. While it is at present of 

 CO nparativeiy little commercial importance outside of the 

 region of its production, it is, nevertheless, frequently the 

 subject of inquirie.s, and. as the information published regard- 

 ing it is somewhat scanty, it may be useful to record briefly 

 a few of the more important facts relative to tiiis little-known 

 product, the methods of obtaining it, and its uses. 



Th-! so-called West Indian kino is variously kuown also 

 as gum kino, American kino, Am'jriean extract of rhatany or 

 false rhatany extract. Kino is a comprehensive trade 

 name applied to a number of astringent resinous substances 

 obtained either by tapping the trunks or by extracting it 

 from various pirts of the tree. The tapping is accomplished 

 by making a V shaped incision in the bark. The exuding 

 material is usually led into a cmtainerat or near the base of 

 the tree For this purpose an open, perpendicular channel 

 is cut, connecting the bases of the V-shaped incisions. The 

 product may be extracted from the wood, birk and leaves by 

 boiling and evaporating it down. The residue is at first thin 

 and red, but it rapidly becomes thick, and dark, brown. It is 

 a brittle product that may be easily re iuced to a powder ef 

 a rich, ruby-red colour. In the market it occurs most com- 

 monly in grains of a shining aspect. 



At one time there was a small trade in this 

 West Indian product. It was first collected and exported 

 from Jamaica and several islinds of th < West Indies. 

 In recent years the demand for kino has been sup- 

 plied by West Africa and parts of the Eist Indies, but 

 there is no reason why this West Indian proiuct is not more 

 generally collected and put to some economic use. There is 

 at present only a limited u<e of kino in medicine, but it may 

 be employd alsoas an as'.ringent, and for tanning leather, 

 and for dyeing cotton. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 

 Mr. W. 11. I )unlop, .Scientific Assistant, Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture, left Barbados by the 

 R.M.S. 'Chignecto' on December 11, 1919, on an orticial 

 visit to St. Vincent. Mr. Dunlop is exppct to return 

 to Barbados en December 23. 



\s a result of work ou pollination of tomatoes, .\.G.B. 

 Bouquet, Oregon, states that hand pollination of flowers 

 has reduced the number of unfruitful blossoms irom Ob p^r 

 cent, to 20 per cent, of the iotal number of flower.^ pr )du«i, 

 the percentage of reductioa depending upon tho ■ .u.iu .tivn 

 thoroughness of the pollination. {Expinii, 

 Record, September 5, 1919.) 



