Deville-Maisoncelle loop

12 points of interest

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  Flora

  Galba

  The galba (Calophyllum calaba) is a dry rainforest tree, recognisable by its very characteristic trunk. Its flowers are white and fragrant.
  Since the nineteenth century, its balsam has been called 'Caribbean green balm' or 'Mary's balm' and is traditionally used to assist in the healing of wounds. It has been shown that the oil from the seeds is very rich in unsaturated fatty acids, sterols and vitamin E. It is used in the West Indies to nourish and protect the skin, hair and scalp.

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  Agricultural landscape

  Cane fields

  Sugar cane has marked the history and landscape of Guadeloupe since the fifteenth century, the period where it would have begun to be planted in the Caribbean.
  Cane is a grass, whose stem is used in the manufacture of sugar and rum; the foliage serves as cattle feed.

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  Flora

  Big-leaf mahogany

  Big-leaf Mahogany (Swietennia macrophylla), from the Meliaceae family, is a perennial tree with a large, straight, cylindrical bole. It has small yellowish green flowers.
  This species was introduced with the objective of producing wood. In effect, its wood is very popular in cabinetmaking for its hardness and its colours, which has led to overexploitation in its area of origin. It is included in the Annex II of the Endangered Species (Washington Convention).

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  Flora

  Kapok tree

  The fruits of the kapok tree give a white down, also called kapok.
  In Guadeloupe, contrary to other regions and countries, the kapok has a bad reputation. Many legends are associated with it : 'soucougnans' and ghosts. This tree is also linked to the period of slavery: recalcitrant slaves were hanged from its branches.

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  Flora

  Bloodwood tree

  The bloodwood tree (Haematoxylum campechianum) belongs to the Fabaceae family. It can reach 15 metres in height. Typical of the Caribbean dry rainforest, it is distinguished by its very hard, heavy wood, dark in colour, and its dark red sap. You can obtain a tincture of its wood; the tree was also often used to make charcoal. Its nectar-laden flowers are appreciated by beekeepers.

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  Flora

  Bay rum tree

  The bay rum tree (Pimenta racemosa) is a shrub which grows in the West Indies. It smells of aniseed, cloves, or lemongrass. The leaves and seeds (allspice) of this shrub are widely used in Guadeloupe cooking. The bay rum tree is also used for its many therapeutic virtues. In fact, Bay Rum can be used as a lotion to relieve rheumatism, bruises and headaches.

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  Flora

  Australian pine

  The Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) belongs to the Casuarinaceae family. It is a tree of Australian origin, also present in south-east Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean. It can reach more than thirty metres in height. Its young green branches greens have a narrow, fluted morphology with a diameter of 2 mm. The Australian pine is a tree pioneer, able to grow in soils which are very poor in mineral elements.

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  Flora

  Pink trumpet tree

  The pink trumpet tree (Tabebuya heterophylla) is identifiable by its beautiful pink flowers with a yellow heart, which lie scattered over the ground. It is very wind- resistant. Its wood is valued in carpentry, and is used for building. It is also often used to make 'saintoise' canoes.

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  Flora

  Red gum

  The red gum (Bursera simaruba) is easily recognisable by its reddish bark, which comes off in strips. Under these tatters, the bark is green and smooth.

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  Cultural and architectural heritage

  Well

  In the undergrowth at the edge of the path lie the remains of a well belonging to Deville House, a silent witness of the old sugar works of the Petit-Canal commune.

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  Cultural and architectural heritage

  Ruin

  It is possible to make out the remains of a house wall, at the foot of a Spanish lime tree (Melicoccus bijugatus).

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  Flora

  Big-leaf grape

  The big-leaf grape (Coccoloba pubescens) is a species of the Polygonaceae family. This tree can reach 25 m in height. Its leaves can measure up to 45 cm in diameter; they are a brilliant green, paler on the back, with yellowish veins. The flowers are a greenish-white. The fruits measure 2 cm in diameter.