19 



surrounded at the base with the ^jersistent segments of the 

 perianth, attenuate in a thlGicened pedicel. 1' 



liesoription of the >Vood 



Sapwood thick and light brown; heartwood slightly darlcer. 

 Wood moderately soft, light, not strong, rather fine grained, 

 taking a moderately fair polish, and is not durable in con- 

 tact with the soil. Annual rings of growth very narrov/ and 

 scarcely visible under the high power microscope. 



Pores (transverse section) very numerous, small (about 

 .13 mm. in diameter), usually round, open, and arranged singly 

 or sometimes in pairs. Vessel walla (longitudinal section) 

 with numerous small simple or bordered pits, or sometimes on 

 radial surface v/ith large transverse elongated simple pits 

 resembling scalariform markings. Perforations simple. ,'/ood 

 fibers about 1.068 mm. long, with very thin walls, large lu- 

 mina and small simple pits. -Vood parenchyma not very abun- 

 dantly developed. Rays very small, hardly visible under the 

 hand lens, from 1 to 3 cells wide and from 3 to 5 times as 

 high. 



Distribution, common names and uses 



The spreading sigua has been reported so far only from 

 several localities in Central llexico ; its discovery in the 

 forests of Chiriqui makes it probable that its area extends 

 all over Central America. In Chiriqui it is known as sigua 

 bianco and is extensively used for building purposes. 



The Veraguan Ocotea 

 Ocotea veraguensis Mez, Laura c. Amer.: 240. r 1889. 



Description of the tree 

 A middle sized tree, v/ith grayish, smooth or slightly 



1) The identification of this species is subject to revision. 

 The perianth and stamens of n° 48 Liebm. were transparent dotted 

 and the stamens and staminodes are more or less pubescent. The 



