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59. Olivo 



Sapium spp. 

 MAY BE POISONOUS 



It seems probable that there are variations in the species of 

 this plant. In Mexico and Salvador the milky sap is considered 

 very poisonous. Records show that the Indians used it to 

 poison arrows. However, in Panama the coagulated sticky 

 sap is chewed by boys who place it on twigs for the purpose of 

 catching small birds. The large or small olivo trees are found 

 from Mexico to South America and in the West Indies. The 

 fruit is a small capsule. This plant may be easily recognized 

 by the two small projections at the base of the leaf (somewhat 

 exaggerated in the illustration shown here). The tree is called 

 nipe in Panama; yos in Costa Rica; chilamate in northern Central 

 America; gum tree, milk woodm Jamaica; lechecillo and hincha- 

 nuevos in Puerto Rico; and piniche in Cuba. 



565269—44 6 



