''Brya ebenus'', the Jamaican raintree, espino de sabana, granadillo, cocus wood, cocuswood, and coccuswood, is a species of plant in the pea family,

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. It is native to Cuba, and it has been introduced to Jamaica. Horticulturally it is known as the Jamaica(n) rain tree.

Description

The Jamaican rain tree is a small drought-resistant tree that can grow around 20–30 feet tall and produces long, drooping branches. It has small, waxy 2-3 parted compound leaves that often appear to be simple. The leaves are densely borne in alternate formation on short spurs that are produced on the main stems. The bright yellow flowers develop on short indeterminate (racemose) inflorescences. They are typically (for the subfamily Faboideae) pea-like and hermaphroditic, with bilateral symmetry and (not so typically) heterostyly. The fruits are legumes, which are common for the family Fabaceae.

Ecology

''Brya ebenus'' grows in scrublands (tropical terrestrial biome), needs full sunlight and flowers sporadically throughout the year. As its common name suggests, the Jamaican rain tree is well known to come into bloom almost immediately after a rain event. This is may be an adaptation to produce seeds quickly when unpredictable rains occur. The flowers attract insect visitors such as bees. As in many Faboideae, the Jamaican rain tree has bacterial nodules in its roots, which fix atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form, allowing growth in poor soils.

Cultivation and uses

''Brya ebenus'' is cultivated as an ornamental, for bonsai trees, and for its valuable wood. Cocus wood is a very dense tropical

hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

with excellent musical tone quality, and was used for making flutes in England and France especially during the 19th century. It is still occasionally used for wooden musical instruments such as

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, N ...

, clarinets, oboes, and

piccolo The piccolo ( ; ) is a smaller version of the western concert flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" or piccolo flute, the modern piccolo has the same type of fingerings as the ...

s. The branches of ''Brya ebenus'' were used as

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

s for slaves.Louis Figuier, M. Faguet: ''The Vegetable World.'' Chapman and Hall, 1868, S. 447.

References

Dalbergieae Plants used in bonsai Endemic flora of Cuba Plants described in 1825 {{Dalbergieae-stub