162 



1 



\ Pores ^transverse seetlon) not numerous, very small 

 ( »04 mm. in diameter) and often irregular in outline, open, 

 and arranged singly or in small groups or radial rows of 2 or 

 3 in number. Vessel walls (longitudinal section) with nume- 

 rous small simple and bordered pits. End walls of vessel 

 segments completely absorbed. 7/ood fibers about 1,428 mm. 

 long, with thick walls, small cavities and few simple, slit- 

 like pits. In transverse section the wood fibers are chiefly 

 polygonal. ,7ood-parenchyma fibers not abundantly developed 

 and usually bordering pith rays and vessels. Pith rays rather 

 prominent under hand lens or\ a smooth transverse section, 

 from 1 to 5 cells wide and from 5 to 15 times as high.X 



Distribution, common names and uses 



Thia small tree is a common constituent of the underwood 

 in the virgin forests of the lower belt, on both watersheds 

 of Panama. Its area extends from Southern Uexico over Central 

 America and northern South America to the three Guayanas, em- 

 bracing also most of the ..est Indian Islands. In Panama it la 

 known as hues i to , i.e. small bone- wood, on account of the 

 hardness of its vvhite, fine grained wood; in some parts of the 

 British V/est Indies, it is called ;Vild Coffee and V/ild Jasmine , 

 The straight stems are extensively used in native house 

 building, while the wood is applied to the making of handles 

 and other small objects. 



