Part 4, 1924] MEUACEAE 267 



Calyx of 5 free imbricate sepals; ovary glabrous, 3- or 4-celled. 31. G. Caoba. 



Species doubtful* placed. i&ZfflX&jfc 



1. Guarea ramiflora Vent. Choix pi. 41. 1807. 



Guarea humilis Bertero; DC. Prodr. 1: 624. 1S24. 



A shrub 3 or 4 m. tall, or small tree, rarely attaining a height of 20 m.; leaves equally 

 pinnate, 4-17 cm. long; leaflets 2-6, oblong to broadly elliptic or somewhat ovate, occasionally 

 oblong-obovate, 7-22 cm. long, 3-8 cm. broad, punctate with numerous, small, rather obscure, 

 pellucid dots, acuminate to long-acuminate at the apex, somewhat rounded or acutish at 

 the base, glabrous above, more or less loosely hirsutulous beneath on the midrib and lateral 

 veins, reticulate-veined on both surfaces; panicles 3-9 cm. long, the branches hispidulous; 

 calyx loosely hispidulous on the outside, the lobes broadly half triangular-orbicular, abruptly 

 short-pointed, the stipe-like base exceeding the short pedicels; petals oblong, 6-8.5 mm. long, 

 2-4 mm. broad, white or reddish, adhering to the base of the staminal tube, the edges very 

 minutely denticulate; staminal tube cylindric, 6-7 mm. high, glabrous, minutely papillose on 

 the outside; anthers oblong, included; ovary 4-celled, glabrous, short-ovoid; style long, 

 columnar; stigma disc-shaped; disk elevated; capsule 2-4-celled, more or less flattened and 

 somewhat angled, the edges rounded, or occasionally 1-celled and subglobose, 1.7-2 cm. broad; 

 seeds 1-1.3 cm. long, flattened on two sides, the back rounded, or occasionally flattened only 

 on one side. 



Type locality: Porto Rico. 



Distribution: Porto Rico; apparently also in South America. 



Illustration: Vent. Choix pi. 41. 



2. Guarea glabra Vahl, Eclog. 3: 8. 1S07. 



Guarea Vahliana A. Juss. Mem. Mus. Paris 19: 240. 282. 1830. 

 Guarea humilis C. DC. in DC. Monog. Phan. 1: 563. in part. 1878. 

 Guarea ramiflora C. DC. in DC. Monog. Phan. 1: 567, in part. 1878. 

 Guarea Lherminieri C. DC. Bull. Herb. Boiss. 2: 571. 1894. 



A tree; leaves 6-20 cm. long, the petioles and rachis strigulose when young, glabrous in age, 

 the rachis grooved above; leaflets 4-10, lanceolate to elliptic or ovate, 7.5-18 cm. long, 3-7.8 

 cm. broad, acuminate at the apex, inequilateral or nearly equilateral and acute at the base, 

 glabrous above, the midrib impressed, hirsute beneath in the axils of the veins, the midrib 

 and lateral veins prominent; panicle axillary, the branches strigulose when young; flowers 

 long-pedicelled, the pedicels slender, 4-6 mm. long, minutely strigulose, enlarged at the apex; 

 calyx rather flat, the stipe-like base equaling or a little shorter than the pedicel; lobes of the 

 calyx suborbicular, pubescent with strigulose hairs mostly toward the apex, ciliate; petals 

 elliptic to broadly ovate, 7.5-8 mm. long, 4.5-5 mm. broad, obtuse at the apex, minutely 

 ciliate, puberulent on the outside ; ovary globose-ovoid, glabrous ; style rather slender, glabrous ; 

 capsule 2.6-3 cm. in diameter; seeds 1.5-2 cm. long. 



Type locality: Montserrat. 



Distribution: Lesser Antilles; recorded by C. de Candolle from St. Croix and northern South 

 America. 



3. Guarea Swartzii DC. Prodr. 1: 624. 1824. 



A small or medium-sized tree, occasionally attaining a height of 20 m.; leaves 6-24 cm. 

 long; petioles and rachis more or less strigulose when young, glabrous or nearly so in age, 

 the rachis often narrowly grooved above ; leaflets 4-S, opposite, elliptic to oval, or somewhat 

 ovate, 7-17 cm. long, 3-7.5 cm. broad, acute and equilateral or inequilateral at the base, 

 acuminate at the apex, glabrous and lustrous above, the midrib impressed, hirsute beneath in 

 the axils of the veins, the midrib and lateral veins prominent, petioluled; panicle often raceme- 

 like, axillary, 7-20 cm. long, occasionally longer, the branches strigulose when young; flowers 

 short-pedicelled, the pedicels 0.5-2 mm. long, strigulose, enlarged at the apex; calyx shallow, 

 4-angled; lobes acute, the stipe-like base usually shorter than the pedicel; petals oblong to 

 elliptic, 5.5-6 mm. long, 2.5-3 mm. broad, obtuse at the apex, more or less strigulose; staminal 

 tube glabrous or with few scattered hairs on the outside; anthers oblong; ovary ovoid, glabrous; 

 capsule subglobose or somewhat 4-angled, 2 cm. broad; seeds 10-15 mm. long; aril red. 



