21 



surfaces of which, as has been mentioned, are silvery. The 

 trunk is straight, smooth, and 18-20 inches in diameter. The bark 

 is very smooth, .50-. 75 inches thick, picturesquely patterned and 

 mottled with light brown and brownish-gray, and finally exfoliat- 

 ing in broad, thick, appressed scales. In Costa Rica an infusion 

 of the bark is used in the treatment of fever. The branches are 

 slender and spreading. The branchlets are stout. They are 

 pale green and glabrous when they first appear, but gradually 

 change to light brown. In their second season they are rugose 

 and conspicuously marked by the large, oval leaf-scars. 



The wood is light, soft, not strong, and coarse-grained. It has 

 scattered, open ducts, indistinguishable annual rings, and very 

 fine pith rays. Its color is uniform pale yellow or light brown, 

 with thick sapwood and intensely bitter flavor. The wood is lit- 

 tle used, although it possesses to a marked degree tonic properties 

 resembling those of the Quassia tree. In Florida it is popularly 

 believed that to drink water from a cup made of Simaruba wood 

 is a cure for chills and fever. The physical properties of the 

 wood are as follows : 



Specific gravity 0.4136 



Percentage of ash 0.93 



Relative approximate fuel value 0.4098 



Coefficient of elasticity 93217. 



Modulus of rupture 564. 



Resistance to longitudinal pressure. ...... 426. 



Resistance to indentation • 86. 



Weight per cubic foot 25.78 lbs. 



The bark of the root is employed medicinally, often as a sub- 

 stitute for S. amara. It comes to the druggist in the form of 

 long pieces, one or more inches broad, folded lengthwise, light, 

 flexible, tenacious, very plain, light brownish yellow externally, 

 pale yellow on the inside, rough, warty, and marked with trans- 

 verse ridges ; without odor. The chief constituent is quassin, 

 QoH,,03. 



The leaves are alternate, abruptly odd-pinnately compound, and 

 6-10 inches long. The petioles are 2-3 inches long. The leaflets 

 are conduplicate in the bud. When they first unfold they are 

 thin, membranaceous, and dark-red. They are petiolulate ; the 

 petiolules are stout, about .25 inch long. The leaflets are alter- 

 nately arranged, 11-13, mostly obovate, 2-3 inches long, margin 

 entire and revolute, venation pinnate, texture coriaceous. The 

 base is cuneate and more or less oblique. The apex is rounded 

 or slightly pointed. The blade is very lustrous dark green above ; 

 below it is silvery glaucous, with a prominent mid rid. The two 

 surfaces contrast very strongly in color and luster. 



In the springtime for many weeks the dark crowns of the Para- 

 dise Trees are covered with a delicate yellow veil. This diaphan- 

 ous drapery which appears on both staminate and pistillate trees, 

 is composed of the immense loose clusters of tiny yellow flow- 

 ers. The individual flow^ers are very small {.33 inch in diameter, 



