Descriijtlon of the Wood 



Sajjwood very thick, light yellowish or nearly white; 

 heartwood in mature trees about 10 or 15 cm. in diameter, 

 deep red, or rich brown mottled with darker colored s^jots 

 remotely resembling Chinese characters, (on which account it 

 is generally referred to as letterwood, leopardwood or snake- 

 wood). Wood very hard {about 75 pounds per cubic foot), 

 heavy, tough, strong, straight and fine grained, taking a 

 good polish and durable in contact with the soil. Annual 

 rings of growth not visible. 



Pores (transverse section) numerous, small (•IS mm. in 

 diameter), round or radially comi^ressed, open in sapwood, 

 closed with a dark ruby-colored resin in heartwood, and 

 arranged singly, in pairs or in radial rows of from 3 to 6. 

 Vessel walls (longitudinal section) with numerous, s.aall, 

 bordered pits. Perforations simple, Jood fibers 1.12 mm. 

 long, vjith thick walls, small lumina and very minute, slit- 

 like simple pits, /.'cod parenchyma rather strongly developed, 

 forming numerous, short, irregular, inconsjjicuous, tangen- 

 tial lines alternating with much wider bands of wood fibers. 

 Hays numerous, very narrow, barely visible under hand lens, 

 and from 1 to 3 cells wide and from a few to 15 or 20 cells 

 high. 



Distribution, common names and uses 



So far Firatinera panamensis has been reported only 

 from the vicinity of Port Obaldia on the San 31as Coast, 

 where it is known ujider the name of "guairaaro". The v/ood 

 shows a certain resemblance to the letterwood of iiutch and 

 French 3aianas, but it is not so finally and distinctly fi- 

 gured. It is hard, heavy, strong and difficult to work and 

 consequently is not used to an^?- extent by the people of _'a- 

 nami. 



The broad-leaved Serbs 

 Helioostylis latifolia Pittier 



Description of the tree 

 A laticiferous tree 20 to 25 m. high, 30 to 40 cm. in 



