63 



elongate; bark dark gray; young branchlets, petioles and 

 rachis densely f erruginous-tomentose. leaves opposed, co- 

 riaceous, the petioles broad, about 1 cm. long, the blades 

 ovate or obovate to ellii)tic, subacute at the base, abruptly 

 short acuminate, 6 to 11 cm, long, 4 to 5.5 cm. broad, ad- 

 pressed hairy above, densely grayish- tomentose beneath. 

 Inflorescence spicate, terminal, 10 to 12 cm. long; calyx 

 glandulous, the sepals 5, ovate-oblong, 3 to 4 ma, long; 

 petals deep yellow, suborbicular , 6 to 12 mm. long; ovary 

 3-looed; styles 3. Drupe globose, nearly 1 cm. in diameter, 

 greenish yellow at .'naturity. 



Description of the v/ood 



oapwood thin, very light pin!:; heart.vood brownish pink. 

 Wood hard, heavy, strong, close- and cross-grained, taking 

 a very good polish. Annual rings of growth visible only 

 under high power microscope. 



Pores (transverse section) very numerous, small (.116 

 mm. in diameter) , round or slightly elliptical, open, and 

 arranged singly or in radial rov/s of from 2 to 6 or more 

 vessels usually smaller than the v/idth of the Sjjace between 

 two pith rays. Vessel walls (longitudinal section) with 

 numerous simple and bordered pits v/hen in contact with pith 

 ray cells and .vood-parenchyma fibers, always bordered v.-here 

 two vessels abut on each other. 2nds of vessel segments 

 wholly absorbed, leaving large circular or elliptical openings. 

 V/ood fibers about 1,19 mm. long, with moderately thick walls 

 and relatively large cell cavities and fen slit-like, simple 

 pits. ..'ood-parenohyma fibers sparingly developed and 

 ccGuring only in the neighborhood of vessels, fith rays 

 from 1 to 4 cells wide and from a few to 30 or more cells 

 high. 



o' 



Distribution, common names and uses 



This tree appears generally with the savanna-formation 

 in the semi-arid districts of eastern Central America, 

 northern oouth America and some of the i^est Indian Islands. 

 In the latter a few species of the genus are called Golden 

 Spoon , a name referriiig to the shape of the ^, eta Is and 

 which van be retained for the Panamanian species. In some . 

 parts of Colombia, it is called ^arale Jo , in ethers chaparro , 



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