134 



caducous, viewers 3 to lE-clusuered in the axils of the 

 leaver; pedicels about the length uf the ^^^etioles, njcre oB 

 less "orcvmish jjubescent, tapering fro;n apex to base; se^jals 

 6, about 6 ..in. long, ovate, cbtase, coriaceous, the 3 ex- 

 terior ones fuzzy-pubescent v/ithout, the interior ones 

 grayish pubescent; corolla about 6.5 ora. long, white, spread- 

 ing, the tube very short, the lobes 18, the 12 exterior ones 

 lanceolate, acute, mostly 2-f id , the 6 interior ones smaller; 

 stamens and staminodes connate at the base, the former lan- 

 ceolate, subulate, the 6 latter about 3 mm. long, the anthers 

 extrorse; pistil glabrous, the ovai-y 9-celled, 3erry ovoid, 

 usually 1-seeded, seed 1 to 1.3 cm. long, 0.6 mm. broad, 

 pointed at both ends. 



This tree has 3 to 4 powerful, horizontal roots, without 

 buttresses; it is one of the largest trees in the forests cf 



Panama . 



Description of the wood 



3apv;ood thin, very light brown, tinged with red; heartwood 

 much darker resembling mahogany in color, turning darker on 

 exposure to light and air. ./ood very hard, heavy, strong, 

 tough, straight- cr cross- and fine-grained; it works with 

 difficulty and takes a very good polish. Annual rings of 

 grcv/th barely visible under high power microscope. 



Pores ( transverse seetien) very numerous, small (.09 mm. 

 in diameter), rouzid, open in sapv/ood, closed in heartwood and 

 arranged in short radial rows cf from 2 tc 3. Vessel walls 

 (longitudinal section) with numerous, small, round bordered 

 pits. Perforations simple. ;/ood fibers about 1,55 mm. long, 

 with very thick walls and almost obliterated cell cavities 

 and very small dot-like simple pits, ./ooa ^-arenohyma 

 highly developed and arranged in numerous, tangential, con- 

 tinuous or broken lines of one or sometimes 2 cells wide, and 

 easily visible under hand lens on a smccth transverse sec- 

 tion. Rays numerous, narrow, from 1 to 2 cells v/ide, and 

 from 6 to 12 cells high. 



Distribution, comfnon names and uses 



Mlmusops darienensis is a tree of great economic impor- 

 tance, especially on account of its gum, the caucho bianco 



