Pimenta racemosa (Mill.) J.W.Moore var. racemosa
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Myrtaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - 7-12 m tall; bark tan, smooth, thin, peeling off in long irregular flakes; twigs usually 4-angled, strigose or pubescent, becoming glabrous and cylindric. Leaf blades with a strong bay rum odor, 3-15 x 1-6.5 cm, elliptic, oblong, or obovate, coriaceous, glabrous, gland-dotted, midvein impressed to plane on upper surface, the apex and base obtuse to rounded, the margins revolute; petioles 5-12 mm long, glabrous. Flowers many, in short axillary panicles, the terminal flowers sessile, the lateral pedicellate; axis 4.5-12 cm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; pedicels slender, 2-7 mm long; bracts and bracteoles linear. Hypanthium funnel-shaped, 2-3 mm long, glabrous, the sepals widely ovate, 0.5-1 mm long, gland-dotted, canescent within; petals white, obovate, glabrous, reflexed, 3-3.5 mm long; disk 3-4 mm wide, canescent; stamens numerous, the filaments 3-4 mm long, glabrous. Berry nearly globose, 6-10 mm diam., glandular- roughened, turning from green to black.
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Discussion
Common names: bay leaf, bay rum tree, cinnamon, cinnamon bush.
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Distribution
A common tree of moist secondary forests, previously widely cultivated; not known for sure whether native to the Virgin Islands or not. Bordeaux (A829), Gift Hill (A2852). This variety is also found on St. Croix, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; Puerto Rco, Cuba, and the Lesser Antilles.
Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint John Virgin Islands of the United States South America| West Indies| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| Puerto Rico South America| Cuba South America|