115 



with darker or nearly blacic streaks, wood hard, heavy, strong, 

 tough, straight and fine-grained, taking an excellent jjolish. 

 It Si^lits and works rather easily. Annual rings of growth 

 not clearly marked even under the compound microscOjje. 



Pores (transverse section) numerous, small (about ,08 mm. 

 in diameter) nearly round or more often irregular v/hen 

 grouped in two to four generally arranged radially. Vessel 

 walls (longitudinal sectionj with very numerous minute rou.id 

 bordered pits 'ith slightly transversely elongated pit open- 

 ings. The ends of the vessel segments are completely ab- 

 sorbed. . ood fibers are about 2 mm. long with rather thick 

 walls and relatively small cell cavities. The pits are e:xcee- 

 dingly minute and obliquely slit-like. .;ood parenchyma very 

 abuiidantly developed and rather uniformly distributed, cccuring 

 in tangential lines one cell wide. Pith rays numerous ratner 

 conspicuous under the hand lens. The rays are frOin £. to 5 

 cells wide and from 10 to 15 timea as hi^h. 



Distribution, commcn names and uses 



This species, remarkable for its beautiful flov;ers, has a 

 very limited area of dispersion. It has net been reported 

 frcm the country to the east of Turbaco, near Cartagena (Co- 

 lombia), the type- locality, and it does not seem tc extend 

 westwards much farther than the Canal ^one in Panama. Its 

 existence i n .Ijcaador , as rep..rted oy dinclair(l), must oe 

 considered -as doubtful. It grows either isolated or in 

 small copses on gently sloping, auiiny hills, and is known 

 among the natives by the name of membrill o , on aeccunt, it 

 is said, of its edible fruit, vaguely reminding in shape and 

 taste these cf the quince. In Colombia the same tree is 

 called 3a GO and it belongs to the group of the Pirigaras , 

 represented in Brazil by several species. The wood is used, 

 to a limited extent, fcr building purposes. 



(1) Iliers in Trans. Linn. 3oc. 30, p. 177. 



