The 2 sterile specimens collected by Blodgett in 

 1839 or 1840 were identified by Nuttall (1842-1849; 2: 

 111-113, pi. 77) as Clusia fiava Jacq., but were re- 

 ferred to C. rosea by Howard (1962). R. Bruce Ledin 

 (manuscript on file in Biology Dept., Univ. Miami, 

 1958?) noted also the correction to C. rosea from Big 

 Pine Key and concluded that the species was not 

 native but was planted by an early settler. He 

 quoted the supposition by Sargent in 1889 that Nut- 

 tall mistook this plant as indigenous as he did Ter- 

 minalia catappa. Ledin wrote that the plant on Big 

 Pine Key was growing at the edge of a hammock but 

 in the same area with date palms, coconuts, and 

 other introduced plants. He quoted John D. Dickson 

 that the small plant found on Little Torch Key in 

 1952 appeared to be growing in an old grove. Clusia 

 rosea is tentatively retained here as native. 



Cupania glabra Sw., Florida cupania. Very rare 

 and endangered at Watson Hammock on Big Pine 

 Key but protected within National Key Deer Re- 

 fuge. Seen there by the author in September 1952 

 and August 1971. Reported from Johnson Key in 

 1965 and on Summerland Key in 1963-66 by Avery, 

 who thinks the plants are no longer on the last 

 named. Discovered about 1840 by Blodgett and lost 

 until rediscovered in 1921 on Big Pine Key by J. K. 

 Small (Sudworth 1927, p. 197). Also Cuba and 

 Jamaica and from Mexico to Costa Rica. 



Guaiacum sanctum L., holywood lignumvitae 

 (plate II). Rare on Upper Keys. Local in lower and 

 upper Key Largo. Also Elliott, Sands, Old Rhodes, 

 and Totten Keys within Biscayne National Monu- 

 ment, Seen by Avery as a wild tree also on Lower 

 Matecumbe, Upper Matecumbe, and Plantation 

 Keys. Preserved in the State park on Lignum Vitae 

 Key, named for this tree. Nuttall (1842-49; 3: 17) 

 reported the discovery by John Loomis Blodgett 

 who found this species to be abundant in Key West. 

 Apparently the trees were cut for their valuable 

 wood. Not now known as wild on Big Pine Key or 

 other Lower Keys. Protected by State law. 



Gyminda latifolia (Sw.) Urban, West Indies 

 falsebox (plate II). Very rare, recorded as wild on 11 

 Lower Keys. On Big Pine Key this species is within 

 the National Key Deer Refuge. Avery found it also 

 on Sugarloaf, Cudjoe, Middle Torch, Ramrod, Little 

 Torch, No Name, Vaca, Boot, and Grassy Keys. 

 Recorded from Howe Key. Also West Indies from 

 Bahamas and Cuba to Puerto Rice and Virgin Is- 

 lands and Lesser Antilles and in northeastern 

 Mexico. Reported by Sargent (1891-1902; 2: 14) as 

 common and generally distributed through the is- 

 lands of South Florida from Marquesas Keys to 



Upper Matecumbe Key. First recorded from Key 

 West area by Blodgett. 



Pseudophoenix sargentii H. Wendl., Florida 

 cherrypalm, known locally also as buccaneer-palm 

 or Sargent-palm (cover photograph). The rarest 

 palm native in Florida, according to Ledin, Kiem, 

 and Read (1959). This border or peripheral species is 

 endangered and now nearly extinct in South Florida 

 except in cultivation. Recorded as native from only 

 three of the Upper Keys, Sands, Elliott, and Long. 

 However, the only tree on Sands Key was seen last 

 in 1925 and apparently has disappeared. The colony 

 of several hundred individuals on Long Key, where 

 the species was discovered, was destroyed by van- 

 dals who removed the trees and sold them as royal 

 palms (Small 1933, p. 238). However, Roy 0. Wood- 

 bury recalled seeing trees there in the 1940's. 

 George N. Avery found none there in 1966 and 

 thinks this population was destroyed by the hur- 

 ricane of 1960. In 1958 Ledin, Kiem, and Read found 

 28 palms on Elliott Key and 3 old plants, also many 

 stumps, on Long Key. Frank C. Craighead, Sr., 

 stated to the author that the only wild trees seen by 

 him were a group of about 15 on Elliott Key, where 

 the species was once abundant. Elliott and Sands 

 Keys are within Biscayne National Monument. 

 Long Key is about 50 miles southwest, separated by 

 others. Transplanted and introduced on other is- 

 lands, such as Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys. 

 Also Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Mona (formerly 1 

 plant), and Dominica; southeastern Mexico and 

 British Honduras. 



Zantlioxylum flavum Vahl, yellowheart or yel- 

 lowwood (plate II). Very rare on Bahia Honda Key. 

 Several trees were noted within Bahia Honda State 

 Park by Roy O. Woodbury in 1937 and later. In 1969, 

 W. L. Stern (according to labels on Nos. 2760, 2764, 

 Univ. Md.— MARY), found only 2 trees at the south 

 end of the State park, the larger 25 ft. high and 8-9 

 in. in diameter at base and protected within a wire 

 fenced enclosure. Avery found only a female tree on 

 that island, producing sterile seeds. Another tree 

 was reported from the Marquesas Keys in 1969 by 

 Sandy Sprunt IV and John C. Ogden. Also Brickell 

 Hammock near Miami, apparently planted. Nuttall 

 (1842-1849; 3: 14), naming the Key West tree as Z. 

 floridanum Nutt, , noted that John Loomis 

 Blodgett, the discoverer, found it to be large and 

 common. The trees probably were cut for the valu- 

 able wood., known also as satinwood. Also Bermuda 

 and West Indies from Bahamas and Cuba to Puerto 

 Rico and Lesser Antilles. 



Plate II. Four very rare trees of the Florida Keys. Upper left, Clusia rosea, copey elusia. Upper right, Guaiacum sanctum, 

 holywood lignumvitae. Lower left. Gyminda latifolia. West Indies falsebox. Lower right, Zanthoxylum flavum, yellowheart. All 

 drawings one-half natural size except the last, which is one-third. 



