11 



only in the neighborhtiod cf vessels and pith rays. Crystals 

 of calGium oxalate seldom present in v/ood-parenchyma , Pith 

 rays small, not visible under a hand lens, from 1 to 3 cells 

 wide and from a few to 12 or more cells high; individual ray 

 cells very rarely contains crystals of calcium oxalate. 



Distribution, common names and uses 



The 3ea-grape is a tree strictly restricted to the sandy 

 or rocky sea-beaches, on the coast of both the Atlantic and 

 Pacific Oceans, from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec 3outhy/ard to 

 Brazil and Peru, being also comraon in the 7/est Indies. In 

 Panama and Costa Rica, it is generally known as uvero de pla- 

 ya , in the latter country sometimes also as papaturro , in 

 Gampeche as uva de mar , and in Cuba and Porto P.ico as uvero , 

 while the fruits are uvas caletas . It is called Haisinier 

 de plage in the Prench 'Test Indies, gua jabara by the BrazT - 

 lians , and sea-grape , mangrove grape-tree and pigeon-wood in 

 the British possessions of tropical America (the first name, 

 sea-grape , applies also to one of the marine algae) . The 

 tree is sometimes cultivated on account of its fruit and the 

 wood of the larger trunks is highly valued as material for 

 cabinet-work. 



The Caracas Triplaris 

 Triplaris caracasana Cham., Linnaea 8:137-1833. 



Description of the tree 



A slender dioecious tree, up to 10 n. high and 35 era. in 

 diameter, the trunk straight, cctered with a grayish rugged 

 bark, the crown ovoid elongate and sparsely branched, the 

 young branchlets fistulose with a greenish, sparseljT- villous 

 or glabrous epiderm. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, the pe- 

 tioles broad, canaliculate, 0.5 to 1 cm., the blades ellip- 

 tic-oblong, more or less acute and decurrent on the petiole 

 at the base, acuminate, 15 to 30 cm. long, 4 to 12 cm. long, 

 glabrous and dark green above, light green beneath and gla- 

 brous excepting the villous, laterally barbate costa; vena- 

 tion very prominent on the lower face of the blade; stipules 

 clasping, caducous. Inflorescences racemose, forming large, 



