THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 203 



GUAIACDM SANCTUM L. (Lignum Vitse). 



Plate XXXVI, Fig. 1. 



A medium-sized tree with spreading top. The wood is heavy, hard and 

 very difficult to split, and is used in the manufacture of pulleys, hubs, mallets, 

 ten-pin balls, etc. The resinous gum is a stimulant and alterative and is 

 used in the compound decoction of sarsaparilla. The lignum vite occurs on 

 New Providence, Long, Fortune, Crooked, Acklin and Watlings Islands, and 

 in south Florida, Cuba, Porto Kico and San Domingo. It is not now exported 

 from the Bahamas. (Jessup Coll.) 



PINUS BAHAMEXSIS Griseb. (Pine). 

 Plate XXXV, Fig. 2. 



A tall, rather slender tree considerably resembling Pinus tceda L. and 

 now known to be identical with P. elliottii Engelm. from Florida. Specimens 

 55 feet in height and 2 feet in diameter at base were seen on New Providence. 

 The wood decays rapidly and is not considered of much value. During our 

 Civil War turpentine and resin were obtained in considerable quantities from 

 the Bahama pine forests, but the industry is no longer active. The pine 

 covers large areas of New Providence, Andros, Abaco, and probably occurs on 

 Great Bahama. 



JUNIPERUS BARBADENSIS L. (Cedar). 



A small tree much resembling Juniperus virginiana L. The wood is 

 particularly good for pencil-making, but the supply is now so limited that 

 none is exported from the Bahamas. This is the cedar that was so highly 

 valued for shipbuilding in the early days of exploration. It occurs on the 

 western end of New Providence, on Andros and Abaco, and in the Bermudas, 

 Jamaica, San Domingo and Antigua. According to Sargent, the south 

 Florida cedar is this species, and not Juniperus virginiana L., as usually de- 

 scribed. 



GYMNANTHES LUCIDA Sw. (Crabwood). 



A small tree, rarely over 20 feet high in the Bahamas. Walking-sticks 

 of superior quality are made from the shoots. It occurs on Andros, Abaco, 

 Eleuthera and Watlings Islands, and in south Florida and many of the West 

 Indies. (Jessup Coll.) 



FAGARA FLAVA (Vahl) Kr. & Urb. (Yellow-wood). 



A small tree with hard, brittle wood that is used in making furniture 

 and for the handles of tools. The plant is found on Andros, Abaco and Long 



