COOK AND COLLINS—-ECONOMIC PLANTS OF PORTO RICO. oe 
Alchornea latifolia. 
Family Euphorbiaceae; known from Lares and Pefnuelas. (Sintenis.) 
Alchorneopsis portoricensis. PALO DE GALLINA. 
A euphorbiaccous tree of 10 to 15 meters, known only from the Sierra Luquillo. 
Alder, West Indian. See Conocarpus erecta. 
Alectra brasiliensis. YERBA DE HIERRO. 
Family Scrophulariaceae; a herbaceous annual, growing in ditches and inun- 
dated places. (Stahl, 6: 228.) 
Aleli. See Plumeria rubra. 
Aleli amarillo. See Plumeria tenori. 
Aleli cimarron. See Plumeria obtusa, P. portoricensis, and P. alba. 
Aleluya roja de Guinea. See Hibiscus sabdariffa. 
The name signifies red sorrel of Guinea. 
Alfalfa. See Medicago sativa. 
Algalia. See Abelmoschus abelmoschus. 
Algarrobo. See Hymenaea courbaril. 
According to Stahl this name is applied only to Hymenaea courbaril, while Hill 
states that it is also used for Pithecolobiwm saman. The true ‘‘ algarrobo”’ or 
“carob” of southern Europe is Ceratonia siliqua, ‘St. John’s bread,” the pods 
of which are valuable as fodder. Captain Hansard gives the specific gravity of 
‘‘algarrobo’’ as 1.06, and believes the tree to be indigenous since large trees are 
found in the mountains in apparently undisturbed forests. He states that it is 
used especially for wagon wheels, and also believes that it is the same as the 
“‘carob’”’ or ‘‘ gum animae’’ of the British Islands. 
Algarrobo amarillo. See Hymenaea courbaril. 
This variety is described as a very beautiful tree, large and robust, reaching 90 
feet (27 meters) in height and with a straight trunk 24 to 30 feet (7 to 9 meters) 
long, with a diameter of 6 feet (1.8 meters). or sometimes much more. Martius 
is said to have seen Algarroba trees in Brazil whose circumference was such that 
it took 15 Indians with arms extended to encompass one of them. The wood is 
very hard, yellowish with green veins, breaking vertically. The grain is fine and 
dense. The wood is much appreciated as well for its strength and durability as 
for its beauty. Specific gravity, 0.929. Itis utilized for all sorts of fine carpenter 
and cabinet work. It constitutes an important branch of the exports to Europe, 
where it is much appreciated for fine furniture. In the Antilles it is used com- 
monly in the making of sugar mills, whose cylinders and cogs are made of this 
material. It is, in fact, one of the best woods of the country and one of the most 
used. (Grosourdy, 2: 359.) 
Reported from all parts of the island; specific gravity, 0.592. (Exp. 1857.) 
Algarrobo colorado. See Hymenaea courbaril. 
According to Grosourdy (2: 360), this is a variety differing from Algarrobo 
amarillo in having its wood rather light reddish brown, with much darker veins 
of varying sizes; susceptible also of a high polish. Used for the same purposes as 
the other. - 
In the list of woods at the exposition in 1857 this variety is described as a tree 
40 to 50 feet (12 to 15 meters) high, from all parts of the island; specific 
gravity, 0.784. 
Algodon. See Gossypium. 
* Algodon ”’ is the Spanish for cotton, and is applied not only to the genuine 
cotton but to other related or similar species, as below: 
Algodon de seda. See Calotropis procera. 
