TREES OF PORTO RICO. 69 



VIII. Anonace^. 



18. Oxandra lanceolaia (Sw.) Baill. Haya prieta; Black lancewood, True lancewood 



(Br. W. I.). 



Tree from 20 to 30 feet high and from 8 to 12 inches in diameter with a limited 

 occurrence in the western part of the island. It occurs largely throughout the West 

 Indies, and in parts of South America where the wood is highly esteemed for lances, 

 fishing rods, shafts, spars, ramrods, and general turnery. 



Wood yellow, very fine-grained, hard, light, strong, and very elastic. Pores are 

 minute, solitary or in groups of two to five, radially disposed, and evenly distributed. 

 Pith rays narrow, scarcely visible to the unaided eye. 



19. Oxandra laurifolia (Sw.) A. Pach. Yaya, Yaya blanca, Haya blanca, Purio; 



White lancewood (Br. W. I.). 



Tree from 30 to 80 feet high and from 10 to 20 inches in diameter. It occurs in the 

 mountain forests and is distributed throughout the West Indies. It is used largely 

 for the same purposes as the true lancewood {Oxandra lanceolota), but is not so 

 valuable. 



Wood light yellowish and fine-grained, hard, light, and strong. Pores minute, 

 solitary or in small groups, and evenly distributed. Pith rays inconspicuous. 



20. Guatteria blainii (Griseb.) Urb. Haya, Haya minga, Negra lora. 



Tree from 30 to 60 feet high, quite generally distributed throughout the island. 

 *21. Anona muricata L. Guandbana; Soursop (Br. W. I.). 



Tree from 10 to 35 feet high and from 6 to 12 inches in diameter, extensively cul- 

 tivated thi'oughout the island for the sake of its fruit, which has an agreeable slightly 

 acid flavor, and is closely allied to the East Indian species (Anona squamosa L.). 

 Wood of little use except for fuel. 



Wood light brown, turning darker with age, fine and straight-grained, resembling 

 somewhat the wood of our papaw (Asimina triloba Dunal.), which is called "Anona" 

 in Spanish. It is soft, light, not strong, brittle, not durable in contact with the 

 soil. Pores very small, solitary, or occasionally in.pairs, and very evenly distributed 

 throughout the annual rings of growth, which are scarcely visible to the unaided 

 eye. Pith rays numerous and indistinct. 



33. Anona palustris L. Cayul, Cayur, Anon, Corazon cimarron, Cayures, Corcho; 

 Alligator apple, Corkwood (Br. W. I.). 



Tree from 20 to 30 feet high and from 8 to 12 inches in diameter. It grows usually 

 in swampy localities and is found along the coasts. Wood used for rafts, floats for 

 fishing nets, and as stoppers for bottles. Wood gray or light brown, somewhat tinged 

 with green, lustrous, fine and straight-grained, soft, very light, weak, not durable in 

 contact with the soil, resembling that of the papaw (Asimina triloba Dunal.). Pores 

 small, solitary or in small groups, and evenly distributed. Pith rays scarcely visible 

 to the unaided eye. 



23. Anona squamosa L. Andn, Anonde escamas, Chirimoya, Cherimolia; Sweetsop; 

 Sugar apple (Br. W. I.). 



Tree from 10 to 20 feet high. An East Indian species, introduced into all tropical 

 coiintries, and now extensively cultivated for its fruit. It is found in most parts 

 of the island. The wood is of little use. Wood light brown streaked with yellow, fine- 

 grained, moderately soft, light, weak, brittle, and not durable in contact with the soil. 



Note. — Of the other two species found on the island, Anona reticulata L. 

 (Corazon; Custard apple, Bullock's heart [Br. W. I.]) is a tree from 15 to 30 

 feet high and from 6 to 12 inches- in diameter, extensively cultivated throughout 

 the island for the sake of its fruit, A7iona montana Macf. (Guanavana cimarrona), 

 which attains a height of from 30 to 50 feet, occurs chiefly in mountainous regions. 

 The wood of both is similar to that of the other species and is of little use except 

 for firewood. 



