16 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



GENUS BURSERA JACQUIN. 



Leaves alternate and clustered towards the tips of the branchlets, leaflets 

 opposite, petiolulate, mostly entire. Flowers polygamous in lateral racemes or 

 panicles ; calyx with minute lobes ; petals ovate to lance-oblong reflexed ; 

 stamens, etc., as described for the order ; ovary 3-celled. Fruit subglobose or 

 oblong, indistinctly 3-angled and splitting at the angles into 2 or 3 somewhat 

 coriaceous valves at maturity and falling away from the seed, which contains a 

 straight embryo and contorted cotyledons. 



The genus consists of about forty species of Mexico, Central and 

 South America and the Antilles, the following single species being 

 found in southern Florida. It is named after Joachim Burser, a dis- 

 tinguished German botanist and physician. 



309. BURSERA SIMARUBA SARG.* 



GUMBO LIMBO. WEST INDIAN BIRCH. 



Ger., Gummitragender Bursere. Fr., Gomart d'Amerique, Gommier. 

 Sp., Almdcigo, Carano (Sp. W. L, Mex., etc.), Jinocuave (C. R.). 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS : See generic description. Leaves tardily deciduous, 

 6-8 in. long, with long petioles and usually 5 to 9 coriaceous, ovate-oblong leaflets 

 2^2-3 in. long, oblique at base, abruptly acuminate at apex and with petiolules 

 l /2 in. or less in length. Flowers, appearing with or before the leaves, on pedicels 

 about Yz in. long, in raceme-like panicles 4-5 in. long of the staminate flowers 

 and about half as long of the pistillate ; sepals 5 ; petals 5, nearly twice as long 

 as the sepals ; stamens as long as the petals, or half as long in the pistillate 

 flower. Fruit about l /z in. long, with 3-valved epicarp and i or 2 triangular 

 nutlets. 



One of the most striking and characteristic of the tropical trees 

 of Florida and sure to attract attention on account of its singular habit 

 of growth. It may attain the height of 50 or 60 ft. (2om.), with 

 irregular sprawling top of limbs "akimbo," as has been aptly said of it, 

 and round smooth crooked trunk sometimes 2 l / 2 or 3 ft. in diameter. 

 This is covered with shining bronze red bark which exfoliates in thin 

 papery strips transversely, giving a ragged appearance to old trunks 

 similar to that of some of the birches of the north, and hence its name 

 West Indian Birch though very distinct from the true birches. 



HABITAT. Widely distributed in the coast region of the West 

 Indies, Central and northern South America, the Bahamas and the 



*SYN. Bursera gummifera L. Terebinthus simaruba Wright. 



