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(Last Modified On 3/6/2013)
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(Last Modified On 3/6/2013)
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Species
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PTEROCARPUS OFFICINALIS Jacq
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sel. Stirp. Am. Hist. 283. t. 183, fig. 92. 1763. -Fig. 138.
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Synonym
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Pterocarpus draco L., Sp. PI. ed. 2, 1662. 1763, pro parte. Moutouci suberosa Aubl., Hist. PI. Gui. Fr. 748. t. 299. 1775. Pterocarpus suberosa (Aubl.) Pers., Syn. PI. 2: 277. 1807.
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Description
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Trees, medium-sized to large. Leaves with 8-12 leaflets, these alternate, ovate- oblong to oblong, 7.5-15 cm. long, 3.5-7 cm. wide, the acumen falcate, up to 2 cm. long, vaguely decurrent on the petiolule, chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, lustrous, reticulate, glabrous, the costa plane or immersed above, the main veins 10-20, arcu- ate, the margin somewhat crisp; petioles 2.5-7 cm. long, swollen basally; rachises up to 17 cm. long. Panicles terminal, often equal to the leaves in length, the rachises up to! 0.3 cm. wide at the base, drying black, scattered ferruginous-villose, the lower- most branches spreading, up to 7 cm. long, the flowers mostly persistent at the tips of the branches; bracts lanceolate, about 2 mm. long, the bracteoles up to 0.6 mm. long; pedicels slender, about 3 mm. long. Flowers with the hypanthium turbinate, about 1.3 mm. long, thickly carnose, glabrous; vexillum reflexed, suborbicular to obreniform-orbicular, about 8 mm. long, glabrous, the claw cuneate, up to 5 mm. long; wing petals obliquely rotund, up to 11.5 mm. long, up to 6 mm. wide, trun- cate at the base, glabrous, the claw about 4 mm. long; staminal sheath 2.5-4 mm. long, about 0.7 mm. wide, glabrous, the filaments often slightly longer than the sheath, the anthers about 0.5 mm. long; ovary stipitate for 3.5 mm., about 3 mm. long, glabrous, the subulate style up to 2.5 mm. long. Fruits stipitate for about 3 mm., flat, the winged body inequilateral, subrotund, oblong or ovate, 2-5 cm. long, 3-3.5 cm. wide, obtuse to acuminate at the apex, very oblique at the base, smooth, lustrous, the veins usually prominent and flabellate.
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Habit
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Trees
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Distribution
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P. officinalis is widely distributed in Central America, in the Antilles, and in many parts of northern South America.
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Specimen
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BOCAS DEL TORO: Changuinola Valley, Cooper & Slater 128; Punta Rovalo to Rovalo River, Chiriqui Lagoon, Seibert 1650; Finca 11, west of Almirante, Stern & Chambers 109; Water Valley, von Wedel 593, 843; Western River, Chiriqui Lagoon, von Wedel 2705, 2775, 2777; locality unknown, Kluge 65, Stern 168. CANAL ZONE: Fort Sherman, Allen 118, Standley 31173; Chiva-Chiva Trail to Searchlight Station, Hunter & Allen 950; Barro Colorado Island, Bangham 502; south of Salamanca Hydrographic Station, Steyermark & Allen 17154. DARIEN: El Real, Duke 4931; Punta Guaya Chiquita, Stern & Chambers 168; Campa- mento Buena Vista, Rio Chucunaque above Rio Tuquesa, Stern, Chambers, Dwyer & Ebinger 859. PANAMA: Arraijan, Allen 2146; San Jose Island, Johnston 789, 790; Gatuncillo River, Rowlee & Rowlee 422.
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Note
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P. officinalis is a lowland species; the bark is rough and the wood soft and elaborating a red sap. The wood is useful in various kinds of construction and has the unusual property of being combustible in the fresh state. The flowers are yellow- orange with a red stripe on the vexillum. There are a number of common names: bloodwood, swamp kaway, sangre, sangre de drago, huevo de gato, cricamola, and chuella. I. M. Johnston (Sargentia 8: 160. 1949) states that the fruits are appar- ently ripe in November and December and are washed up on the beaches (Bodega Bay, San Jose Island).
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