666 



Inkwood 



usually much smaller. The tree is called Chinabcrr}- in New Mexico, and else- 

 where known as Wild China. Its leaves are deciduous. 



The thick bark is fissured and flaky. The young twigs are densely velvety, 



pale green, becoming gray and smooth, the buds 

 small and nearly round. The leaves are 4.5 dm. 

 long or less, and have 7 to 19 leaflets; the leaf- 

 rachis is hair)% somewhat ridged, not winged; the 

 leaflets are markedly scythe-shaped, very short- 

 stalked, 3.5 to 10 cm. long, unequal-sided, long- 

 pointed, obliquely broadly to narrowly lanceolate, 

 smooth and dull green on the upper surface when 

 mature, yellow green and more or less hairy be- 

 neath, at least on the veins. The flower-clusters 

 are i to 2 dm. long; the flowers, which open from 

 May to July, are about 4 mm. broad, the ovate 

 pointed or bluntish sepals shorter than the obo- 

 vate petals; the stamens of staminate flowers are 

 a Httle longer than the petals. The fruits are 

 globular, i to 1.5 cm. in diameter, not keeled, 

 the pulp yellow, drying black, the obovoid seed 

 dark brown. 



The wood is light brown, dense but readily split, with a specific gravity of 

 about 0.80; it is used in basketry. 



The species was formerly confused with the preceding one, and was illustrated 

 as such in " lUustrated Flora of the northern States and Canada." 



Fig. 618. Drummond's Soapberry. 



II. INKWOOD 



GENUS EXOTHEA MACFADYEN 



Exothea paniculata (Jussieu )Radlkofer 



Melicocca paniculata Jussieu. Exothea oblongifolia jMacfadyen 



NKWOOD is probably a monotype, though a second species of the 

 genus has been described from Mexican specimens; the affinities of 

 this are uncertain, however. The tree inhabits Florida, the Bahamas, 

 Cuba, Porto Rico, Santo Domingo, Jamaica, St. Vincent, and Guate- 

 mala, attaining a height of 15 to 20 meters, with a trunk sometimes 5 dm. in diam- 

 eter. The generic name, given by Macfadyen, is Greek, signifying to expel, this 

 tree having been removed by him from the genus with which it was first associated 

 by Jussieu. In the Bahamas it is known as Butter-bough. 



The bark is reddish brown, rather thin, scaly. The young twigs are smooth, 

 brown, and somewhat angled. The evergreen leaves are alternate, equally pin- 

 nate, with 2, 4, or 6 leaflets, rarely with but i leaflet or with 3; the leaf-stalk is 



