42 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



with narrow top of upright branches and slender gray branchlets 

 enlarged at the nodes and a trunk rarely over 10 or 12 in. (0.30111.) in 

 diameter. The bark of trunk is quite smooth and of light gray color 

 mottled with orange brown. It becomes fissured with age into narrow 

 ridges and these checking crosswise finally exfoliate in thick rectan- 

 gular scales. 



HABITAT. The Princewood inhabits the hammocks of the Keys of 

 southern Florida, many o>f the Antilles, southern Mexico and Central 

 America. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood very heavy, hard, strong, close- 

 grained, with exceedingly fine uniformly distributed open ducts and 

 medullary rays. It is of a rich yellow color streaked with purple- 

 brown and yellowish-white sap-wood, the latter, however, sometimes 

 assuming a bluish brown color after being cut. Specific Gravity, 

 0.9310; Percentage of Ash, 0.23; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 

 0.9289; Coefficient of Elasticity, 119357; Modulus of Rupture, 1005; 

 Resistance to Longitudinal Pressure, 751; Resistance to Indentation, 

 481 ; Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 58.02. 



USES. The wood of this species is not of sufficient size or abun- 

 dance to be applied to any particular use. As it is possessed of excel- 

 lent properties, however, and rare color, it might well be valued for 

 turned articles. of wooden ware, fancy wood-work, etc. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. The bark is used in domestic practice as 

 a tonic and febrifuge, in regions in which the tree grows, and was more 

 extensively used, under the name of Caribaean bark, before the general 

 introduction of the more valuable Cinchona barks. 



