137 



The oclerous Lucuipa 



lucoaa aolerocarpa Pittier, Contr. U.S. Hat. Herb. 18; 



166. 1916. 



Descrijjtion of the tree 



A latiGiferous tree, up to 25 m. high, the truni^; mostly 

 straight, 30 to 40 cm« in diameter at the base, the bark 

 smooth, grayish. Young branches Si^arsely ferruginous-pu- 

 bescent. Cleaves alternate, entire, me-abrancus, the petioles 

 about 1,5 am. long, canaliculate, the blades ovate-elliptic 

 or elliptic, 10 to 25 cm. long, 4 to 9 cm. broad, subde- 

 current, glabrous above, Sj-arsely villous, paler or very 

 light brown beneath; ccsta and veins prominent and sparsely 

 hairy beneath. Flowers pedicellate, ? to C-clustered on de- 

 foliate axils; bracts small, ferruginous-pubescent; pedi- 

 cels 1 to 3 mm, long, scarious-pubescent, with 2 minute, 

 ovate, clasping bractlets at the base; sepals 6, free, 

 ovate, the 2 exterior ones smaller, scaly outside, the in- 

 terior ones 5 to 6 mm. long, i^ubescent without on the ex- 

 posed parts, silky within; corolla about 8 ma, long, gla- 

 brous, the tube broad, the 5 lobes irregularly rounded; sta- 

 minodes free; stamens 1,5 to 2 mm. long, glabrous; pistil 

 about 7 mm, long, the ovary ovoid, 5-celled, densely hairy, 

 the style glabrous, divided at the tip into 5 papillose lo- 

 bules. Berry sclerous, sessile, ovate or pear-shaped, 7 

 cm. long and 4,5 cm. in diameter; seed large, ovoid, the 

 umbilioal area extending from one end to the other. ' 



Description of the wood 



Sapwood moderately thick, dark reddish brown; heartwe«d 

 somewhat darker cole red. Wood hard, heavy, very strong and 

 tough, fine-grained, splits and works moderately easily, 

 takes a good polish, and is very durable in contact with 

 the soil. Annual rings of growth not visible under high 

 power microscope, 



r Pores i transverse section) comparatively few, small, 

 (114 mm, in diameter) round or often radially elli^jtical. 



