Anyone knows Muleta tree (from Puerto Rico)?

I am offered this tree and I like it but found very limited information online. I am not sure if what I read about it is even the same as this tree. Anyone can help?

Sorry about the rotated pic...I tried re-uploading and rotating at photobucket several times but kept coming back the same.

Dario
I may be mistaken , but that looks like a conocarpus erectus ( buttonwood) to me.

Mitch

Mitch,

Thanks but the vendor knows buttonwood well (I bought a few of those from him before). The leaves does resemble small buttonwood leaves though.

BUMP up. Sorry, just really need some info if possible.

Dario
Do you have the Latin name of this tree?

Mitch

In this thread https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t1091-photos-of-6th-world-bonsai-convention-in-pr
there is a Eugenia ligustrina (Palo muleta) but I am not sure if it is the same though the resemblance is there.

I contacted the vendor and asked for the scientific/latin name but have not gotten any response yet.

I PM'ed Jose Rivera and waiting for his response as well.

how much of that tree is alive?

Probably 1/3-1/2...I like deadwood. You can see the bark (creamy beige) esp near the top.

Here they have...
44. & 48. Muleta - Eugenia xerophitica (or Eugenia xerophytica (Guayabacon))
http://www.chinabi.com/category-s/70.htm

Also found this...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/candyjshirey/3747543818/

I think I found a match.

Hi friends

Yes, this trees is a Eugenia xerophytica and only found in South of the Puerto Rico. Here information about the plant


Eugenia xerophytica Britton

This rare shrub or small tree known only from southwestern Puerto Rico and Muertos is characterized by: (1) opposite nearly round leaves, slightly thick and leathery, with prominent network of veins; (2) white flowers inch across the many spreading threadlike stamens and 4 petals, 1 to few on slender stalks ¼ - ½ inch long at nodes, mostly back of leaves; and (3) egg-shaped or rounded berries more than 3/8 inch long, with 4 enlarged calyx lobes at tip.
An evergreen shrub or small tree to 15 feet high and 3 inches in trunk diameter, much branched. Bark brown, smooth, peeling off in plates and mottled, the inner bark whitish and tasteless. Twigs slender, brownish gray.
Leaves opposite, hairless, with short petioles 1/8 - ¼ inch long. Blades are 5/8 - 2 inches long and broad, rounded or blunt at apex, slightly notched or rounded at base, not toothed on edges, with minute gland dots, the upper surface shiny yellow green, often curved up on both sides, dull yellow green.

The flowers are composed of cup-shaped base (hypanthium) 1/16 inch long, which bears 4 rounded or pointed gland-dotted calyx lobes 1/8 inch long and the other parts; 4 white elliptic rounded petals more than ¼ inch long; many threadlike white stamens ¼ - 5/16 inch long; and pistil with inferior ovary containing many ovules and slender white style ¼ inch long. The fruits are green when immature and contain few seeds. Flowering and fruiting in spring, collected also with immature fruits in July and with flowers in October.
The wood is light brown and hard.
Rare in dry limestone forest from sea level to 200 feet altitude in southwestern Puerto Rico, also Muertos.
PUBLIC FOREST. - Guánica.
RANGE. - Known only from southwestern Puerto Rico and Muertos.
OTHER COMMON NAME. - guayabacón (Puerto Rico).
This species was named in 1924 from incomplete specimens collected at Muertos in 1905 by Nathaniel L. Britton and others. The flowers are described here from a specimen collected in 1940. The scientific name xerophytic, or dry plant, describes this species adapted to dry areas.

Thanks Jose!!!

Any bonsai related tips you can share? I can't find anything online (bonsai wise). Thanks again!

I can only say that you need plenty of sun, little water and move it as little as possible in order not to disturb the roots. It is slow growing, wood is very strong, so ti resists dead wood work.

Thank Jose, I think I can give it all the sun it needs here in TX.

Good to know that it has strong wood (the type I like)...I guessed enough, otherwise those deadwood would have rotted away by now.

The other species called Palo Muleta is other plant, hera information

. Palo de muleta

Eugenia ligustrina (Sw.) Willd.
This uncommon shrub or elsewhere a small tree is recognized by: (1) paired, narrowly elliptic leaves ¾ -1¾ inches long and ¼ - ¾ inch wide, very shiny green above; (2) smaller scalelike leaves at base of twigs; (3) flowers mostly single on slender stalks back of leaves, white, ½ - ¾ inch across the 4 white petals; and (4) round red berries ¼ - 5/16 inch in diameter, with 4 long narrow sepals at apex, sweetish and edible.
An evergreen shrub seldom taller than 8 feet but sometimes a tree 12 feet high and 3 inches in trunk diameter, reported to reach 15-20 feet elsewhere, hairless throughout. Bark gray, slightly fissured to peeling and slightly shaggy. The twigs are slender, light gray brown. The narrow pointed buds are up to 3/16 inch long, 4-angled, and covered with overlapping pointed scales.
The opposite leaves have short slender yellowish petioles less than 3/16 inch long. Blades are blunt or short-pointed at apex and short-pointed at base, turned under at edges, slightly thick and leathery with sunken midvein and many faint side veins, covered with minute gland dots, and dull yellow green beneath.
Flowers mostly single back of leaves on slender stalks of 1½ inches. Sepals 4, inch long, gland-dotted; petals 4, white, about 3/8 inch long; stamens many; and pistil with inferior ovary containing many ovules and with slender style. Berries on slender stalks are covered with gland dots and have few rounded seeds. Recorded with flowers in May.

The sweetish edible berries have been made into preserves elsewhere.
Uncommon and scattered mostly in dry and moist limestone forests of southern and western Puerto Rico, also scattered along north coast to Fajardo in northeast, from sea level to 600 feet altitude. Also in Piñeros, Culebra, Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Jost Van Dyke.
PUBLIC FORESTS. - Cambalache, Guajataca, Guánica, Vega; Virgin Islands.
RANGE. - Greater Antilles, Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles from St. Martin and St. Barts to Trinidad and Tobago. Also from Venezuela south to Brazil. Planted in South Florida.
OTHER COMMON NAMES. - granadilla, hoja menuda, palo de murta (Puerto Rico); arraiján (Cuba); birchberry (English); mérisier (St. Barts); blackberry, black-cherry (St. Martin, St. Eustatius); bois ti-feuilles, mérisier noir (Martinique) arrayán, escobón de aguja (Dominican Republic).
BOTANICAL SYNONYM. - Stenocalyx ligustrinus (Sw.) Berg.

Dario
That's very interesting. It sounds like it will need winter protection!

Mitch

Mitch Thomas wrote:That's very interesting. It sounds like it will need winter protection!

Mitch,
Indeed, along with my Neea, Logwood, Tintillo, and Buttonwood. That is the downside with tropicals.

I received this tree with 2 new (smaller) logwood...and it is much better than I expected!!!