50 



itself and ccrreSijOnds tc the Latin generic name, Dij.hysa, 

 which ;aeans double bladder, 



The cacique tree, although small, is very useful. '2he 

 wood is hard and very durable, and is used almost to the 

 exclusion of all ether v/oods for the bases of the main 

 stays that supjjort the walls in the native "adobe" or "ba- 

 hareque" buildings. The ^-art of the log that is placed in 

 contact with the soil is loft v/ith the bark on, the ^jcrtion 

 above the ground is squared. These bases are used again 

 and again, after having been in the ground for aany years. 

 Cacique wood is also used by the Indians for making "maca- 

 nas" or native plowing sticks, hence the name "macano". 

 The tool handles of the car^-enters and maiiy small articles 

 requiring very hard wood are made of cacique wcod and for- 

 merly a yellow dye was extracted from it by coction. 



:Jreen sticks of this wood set in the ground take root j 



readily and the tree is often planted in this way to grov/ 

 into live posts for garden fences. It has also been re- 

 ported as being used locally as a shade tree in cacao and 

 coffee plantations. 



The Panaman Gocobola 

 Dalbergia retusa Hemsley, jiagn. PI. nov. i;3. 1873, 



Description of the tree 



A deciduous tree up to 25 cm. high, the trui:il low, 

 straight or mere cr less crooked, about 40 cm. in diameter. 

 Leaves alternate, 9 tc 14-f oliolate, the green color turning 

 to black in dessication, the rachis, sparsely pubescent, 

 14 to 20 cm. long-. Leaflets at first tender and drooj^ing 

 on fresh leaves, later coriaceous, the petiolules ferrugi- 

 nous-pubescent, 4 to 6 mm. long, the blades ovate or ovate- 

 oblong, rounded at the base, bluntly acuminate and often 

 retuse at the apex, 3.5 to 10.5 cm. long, 2.3 to 4 cm. broad, 

 glabrous, dark green above, paler beneath, revolute on the 



margin, i'loral racemes axillary, few flowered, j^arsely 



