37 



besGent; rscei^tacle short atijjitate, about 7 ma. long; se- 

 pals 5, more or less adiiate, laciniate, about 1,4 om. long, 

 retrof leoted; jjetala 5, short unguiculate, ovate-elliotic , 

 acute at ti^^, 3 on. long, 0.6 cm. broad, lilac with dark 

 purple veins; stamens 10, all fertile, free, 5 long and 5 

 short; x^istil glabrous, adnate at the base to the recepta- 

 cle and surrounded farther uj by 2 spathaceous ligules; 

 ovary stipitate, 5 to G-ovulate; style thick; stigma papil- 

 lose, obscurely 3 or 5-lobed. 



Description of the wood 



Sapwood thin, light brown, slightly tinged with red; 

 heartwood darker colored. ,'7ood very hard and heavy, fairly 

 strong, splits and works easily, f ine«*grained, beautiful 

 figure, and takes a good polish. Annual rings of growth 

 sometimes visible under hand lens. 



Pores (transverse section) numerous, small (.12-, 18 mm. 

 in diameter) , round when isolate, but when grouped they 

 are usually compressed radially, open or sometimes closed 

 with dark orovm tyloses. Pores are often arranged in ra- 

 dial rows of from 2 to 5. Vessel walls (longitudinal sec- 

 tion) with namerous smell bordered pits. Perforations 

 simple. V/cod fibers about ,98 mm. long, with rather thick 

 walls and relatively larga and numerous simple pits. The 

 cell cavities are septate, ',7ood parenchyma strongly deve- 

 loped and in several rows of cells around the vessels; it 

 also forms tangential lines connecting the vessels. Rays 

 numerous, very narrow and usually only 1 to 3 cells wide 

 and from 3 to 5 time as high. 



Distribution, common names and uses 



This tree grows in clusters on the alluvial bottom of 

 the little valley back of Port Obaldia, on the Coast of 

 San 31as, Panama. Very little is kno-^n of its distribution. 

 The natives call it casco de vaca , cow's hoof, on account 

 of the shape of the leaf, hwtjfi. this name also applies to 

 other species of the genus. The wood is too hard to be 

 used extensively locally, but it is abundant, has a fine 

 grain, beaatiful figure, takes a brilliant polish, and 

 should attract the attention of the wood user. 



