TREES OP PORTO RICO. 97 



Wood yellowish, very fine and straight grained, taking a very good polish, hard, 

 heavy, strong, though brittle, and very durable in contact with the soil. 



Note 1. — Antirrhoea sintenisii Urb. (Quina) is a tree sometimes 45 feet high, 

 described from the limestone hills in the vicinity of Utuado, Lares, and Manati, 

 and yielding yellowish wood similar to that of Antirrhoea corincea. 



Note 2. — Chione, a closely related genus, is represented by one species of little 

 known importance. Chione venosa (Sw.) Urb. (Martin avila, Palo bianco, Santa 

 olalla), a tree from 20 to 50 feet high reported from the Sierra de Luquillo, Sierra 

 de Lares, and the vicinity of Bayamon and Toa-Alta. Found also in several other 

 of the West Indies. Wood is said to be made into lumber. 



*168. Goffea arabica L. Cafe, Cafe macho; Coffee (Br. W. I.). 



A cultivated and seminaturalized tree from 10 to 20 feet high and from 2 to 4 inches 

 in diameter, grown in plantations at all elevations but doing best in sheltered locations 

 at or above 2,500 feet on the northern and western parts of the island. Native of 

 Arabia. Coffee is one of the most important articles of export of Porto Rico. The 

 wood is often used for walking sticks. 



Wood white, very fine grained, taking a fine polish, hard, heavy, strong, and tough. 

 Pores minute, very numerous and evenly distributed. Pith rays minute and incon- 

 spicuous. 



*169. Ixoraferrea (Jacq.«) Benth. Palo de hierro, Dajao, Palo de dajao, Hackia; West 

 Indian or Martinique iron wood (Br. W. I.). 



Tree from 15 to 30 feet high, occurring quite generally in the limestone hills and 

 somewhat on the slopes of the interior mountains. Elsewhere in the West Indies and 

 in the northern part of South America it sometimes attains a height of from 30 to 60 

 feet and a diameter of from 1 foot to 2 feet. The wood is not reported as being used 

 locally, but in the other countries where it occurs it is used largely for cogs, shafts, 

 and furniture. 



Wood dark brown, taking a very beautiful polish, exceedingly hard, heavy, very 

 strong, and tough. 



170. Other genera of this family represented by tree species. 



Psychotria hrachiata Sw. (Palo de cichimbo), usually a shrub or small tree, but occa- 

 sionally 45 feet high; Palicourea alpina (Sw.) DC, shrub or small tree from 15 to 30 

 feet high; and Faramea occidentalis (L.) A. Rich (Cafeillo, Palo de toro), from 15 to 

 45 feet high, all rather widely distributed locally as well as generally throughout the 

 West Indies. 



LVI. Caprifoliace,e. 



171. Sambucus intermedia var. insularis Schwerin. Sauco. 



A cultivated and seminaturalized tree occurring in various places throughout the 

 island. Introduced from Central America and found in many of the other West In- 

 dian Islands. 



LVII. Gramine^e. 



173. Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. Bambu; Bamboo. 



This bamboo (although the bamboos belong to the grass family and are not trees at 

 all) has an erect wood stem which attains a height of 40 feet and a diameter of 4 inches, 

 and is rather commonly distributed over the island, particularly along the watercourses 

 and throughout the West Indies. It is a native of Java. The bamboos, of which 

 there are many species, are adapted to a wide variety of uses and their planting should 

 be greatly extended in Porto Rico. 

 21871°— Bull. 354—16 7 



