21 



only around vessels. Pith rays barely visible under hand lens 

 very minute, from 1 tc 3 cells wide and from a faw to 15 cells 

 high. 



Distribution, oonuaon names and uses 



The Veraguan Ocotea is distributed alon^ the Pacific 

 Coast of Central"ii;nerica from Tehuantepec to the Panama Canal. 

 On the Atlantic watershed, it is known only in Altg Verapaz, 

 a part of Guatemala which enjoys, like the southern coast, a 

 climate wi':h a well characterized dry season. The v/ood is 

 used to some extent for light carpenter work; it is strong, 

 lasting and easy to handle, but as the tree seldom reaches a 

 satisfactory size and is not gregarious, the supply is neces- 

 sarily limited. It is kno'wn in Panama as sigua oanelo , in 

 Costa rtica as canelo and canelillo , in Omotepe, an island of 

 Lake Kicaragua, as palo Colorado , and among the Kekchi Indians 

 of Guatemala as pu-bti-buk. 



Capparidaceae 

 'Jhe Garlic-scented Grataeva 



Crataeva Tapia Limi. Sp. Pi. ed. 1: 637 (ex parte) - 1753, 



Description of the tree 



A small or middle-sized tree, up tc i^ m. high, and 35 

 cm. in diameter, the trunk erect, continuous, covered with a 

 dark gray, verrucose bark, the branching radiate, the crovm 

 pyramidal or rounded; wood emitting- a faint garlic odor. 

 Leaves alternate, digitate, glabrous, exsti^^ulate , the petio- 

 les 5 to 15 cm. long; leaflets 3, membranous, the petioles 

 4 to 10 mm. long, the blades ovate or oblong- lanceolat;e, 5 

 to IE cm. long, 2.5 to 4.5 cm. broad, rounded at the base, 

 acuminate, articulate on the petiole and very caducous. In- 

 florescences racemose, terminal, many-f lov/ere i ; bracts Ian- 



