246 Forestry Quarterly. 



wood, found mostly on dry slopes and rather frequent, is the smooth- 

 barked Tengue, Poeppigia procera Presb., which resembles in its 

 foliage our Black Locust most closely. 



In Europe Sabicu wood, probably supplied from any of these 

 species, has long been known and appreciated in the markets, and 

 is especially prized because of its soundness and absence of defects. 



Another undetermined Acacia-like species, growing to only one 

 or two feet diameter, Yamaquey, furnishes a black wood resembling 

 Ebony. 



Like all the Acacia tribe, these species have an almost indestructi- 

 ble heartwood and hence are most valuable for railroad ties. The 

 only objection to the use of these hard woods for that purpose lies 

 in their very hardness which renders spikes an undesirable means of 

 fastening the rail. The substitution of bolts which are superior as 

 it is, should give a ready market to this tie supply, which besides the 

 species mentioned is increased by the following of our list: Acana, 

 Ajite, Caguani, Carhonero, Guama, Guamaca, Jucaro, Mahagua de 

 Cuba, Miji, Quiebra-hacha, Yaba, Yaya, and others. 



In certain parts of the territory another leguminous species, the 

 GuAMA^ just mentioned, Lonchocarpus sericeus H. B. K. (not the 

 Guama of Porto Rico) comes next in frequency of the more valua- 

 ble species to the Sabicu, with large, glossy, otherwise Black Locust- 

 like foliage and a bark resembling White Oak, reaching diameters 

 up to five feet, but generally smaller, averaging 400 feet to the tree. 

 Its black heartwood, as hard as iron, should be too valuable for rail- 

 road ties, but its value does not seem to be established in the market. 

 Its bark is used for tanning. 



Better known in the market for wagon work and construction is 

 another leguminous tree, as frequent and more ubiquitous than the 

 preceding and somewhat larger, with diameters up to 5 feet, namely 

 Yaba, the Angeleen tree — Andira jamaicensis (W.) Urb. Its hard, 

 yellow heartwood is indestructible and is specially prized for felloes 

 in wagon work and for wharf timbers, bringing from $50 to $80 in 

 Habana. 



A half dozen other leguminous species occur only rarely. 



The Linden and Malva families furnish two species of highest 

 value, although unknown outside the island, which vie for beauty of 

 color and texture with those mentioned, namely, Majagua de Cuba, 

 Carpodipterus Cubensis Griseb., and Majagua azul, Paritium ela- 

 tum G. Don. The former with a cordate deltoid leaf, conspicuous on 

 the slopes by its clusters of rose-colored flowers, forms a tree of 2. 



