560 



Jamaica Dogwood 



as a salad or pot herb, both in the East and West Indies. The astringent bark is 

 also used medicinally, especially in Asiatic countries. The genus consists of 

 only this species; its name is Malabaric. 



VII. JAMAICA DOGWOOD 



GENUS ICHTHYOMETHIA PATRICK BROWNE 

 Species Ichthyomethia Piscipula (Linnaeus) A. S. Hitchcock 

 Erytkrina Piscipula Linnaeus. Piscidia Erythrina Linnaeus 



AMAICA DOGWOOD is quite abundant on the sandy coastal lands 



of southern peninsular Florida and the Keys, and is common in the 



West Indies and also in southern Mexico. Its maximum height is 



about 17 meters, with a trunk diameter of 9 dm. 



The usually crooked branches are upright or ascending. The bark is 3 mm. 



thick, light reddish brown, its surface broken into small scales. The twigs are 



thickly brownish hairy at first, soon becoming quite smooth, reddish brown. The 



leaves are alternate, without stipules, de- 

 ciduous, I to 3 dm. long, consisting of 

 from 5 to 1 1 leathery leaflets and a stout 

 petiole somewhat enlarged at the base. 

 The leaflets are oblong to obovate or 

 rarely ovate, 5 to 10 cm. long, abruptly 

 pointed or blunt, rounded at the base, 

 entire or slightly wavy on the margin, 

 hairy at first, soon becoming smooth and 

 dark green above, paler and rusty hairy 

 along the prominent midrib beneath. 

 The flowers are in large lateral, grayish 

 hairy panicles on leafless branches of 

 the previous season; the calyx is bell- 

 shaped and persistent, its 5 lobes short, 

 triangular; the petals are white with a 



Fig. 518. Jamaica Dogwood. 



reddish tinge; the standard is suborbicular and notched, grayish hairy on the 

 outer surface, green blotched within, its claw almost as long as the calyx; wings 

 oblong-spatulate; keel-petals broad and curved, their claws connected; stamens 

 10, the filaments of 9 united into a tube, the other one free only at the base, being 

 united with the tube above; anthers all aHke; ovary linear, sessile and silky, con- 

 tracted into a thread-like inwardly bent style; stigma capitate; ovules many. 

 The fruit is a stalked 4-winged legume, linear, 5 to 10 cm. long, indehiscent, 

 hairy or smooth, grayish brown, the thin wings i to 2 cm. wi:de. The flattened 

 seeds are oval, red-brown and dull. 



The wood is weak, close-grained, yellowish brown; its specific gravity is about 



