86 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
Furnishes a wood yellowish gray in color; rather light and soft, but strong, 
resistant, and elastic. It is highly appreciated for furniture and for building 
houses. Specific gravity, 0.495. Also called ‘‘ palo de pan.’’ (Grosourdy, 2: 406.) ~ 
The breadfruit grows about Ponce only in valleys and moist places, and is far 
less common than on the north side of the island. Along the Rio Portugas, near 
the baths of Quinitana, several trees were noticed which had had their trunks and — 
larger branches for 20 feet (6 meters) up and more severely hacked, doubtless to 
induce fertility. : 4 
A substance somewhat resembling rubber may be made by boiling the milky — 
mucilaginous juice of the breadfruit tree with cocoanut oil. The resulting mate- 
rial is said to be tough, durable, and waterproof, and is called ‘‘canoe gum,” 
because used to close the seams of canoes and wooden utensils. Before hardening, 
it also serves as birdlime. 
Artocarpus integrifolia. JACK FRUIT. 
‘“T am strongly in favor of the jack as the tree best suited for providing shade 
for fields of coffee. In the first place, its presence, so far from being prejudicial, 
seems to be actually beneficial to the coffee plant; next. it is a subsoil feeder; then 
it produces a fruit much valued by the natives; its timber is also valuable, whether 
for cabinetmaking or building purposes; and, finally, it flourishes best precisely 
in those conditions where its shade is most required. Known to botanists as the 
Artocarpus integrifolia, the Jack grows to a large size; 1t resembles and belongs 
to the same family as the bread fruit tree. The timber, when newly cut,is of a 
light yellow color, possesses a beautiful grain, and is capable of a high polish, not 
greatly inferior to that of the mahogany or satinwood, both of which it resembles 
to a certain extent in grain and color after having been polished. The fruit is as 
large as a pumpkin and weighs from 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 13 kilograms). contain- 
.ing from 200 to 300 seeds, which, though somewhat unpleasant in smell when raw. 
are converted by being roasted or boiled into a wholesome farinaceous food, always 
much appreciated by the coolies. 
‘“The jack is said to bear transplanting badly, and it will therefore be necessary 
to deposit two or three of the seeds a couple of inches below the surface wherever 
a tree is desired to grow. The most healthy of the plants can afterwards be 
selected.’’—Hull. 
Asclepias curassavica. ALGODONCILLO. BLOODFLOWER. 
Also called ‘‘ platanillo.** An indigenous milkweed appearing in Urban’s Sym- 
bole as a variety of A. nivea. In some of the West Indies it is used as an emetic 
in substitution for the true ipecac, which is derived from a South American plant 
of the family Rubiaceae. A new variety (concolor) has recently been described 
by Krug and Urban, distinguished by having the corolla yellow. (Urban, Symb. 
1: 389.) 
Asclepias nivea. PLATANILLO BLANCO. 
An indigenous milkweed 14 to 3 feet (0.5 to 1 meter) in height. 
Asimina blainii. 
An anonaceous shrub or tree from Utuado. 
Assaea fascicularis. See Henriettella fascicularis. 
Astromeda. See Lagerstroemia indica. 
Atelandra. See Meliosma. 
An indigenous genus of two species doubtfully referred by its author, Bello, to 
the Myrsinaceae. The name is preoccupied in the Labiatae and would need to be 
changed. Urban refers the species to Meliosma. F 
Atelandra laurina. See Meliosma herbertii. 
Atelandra obtusifolia. See WVeliosma obtusifolia. 

