It is named after the collector Melville Cook. Date 13 MAR 96 holotype of the species is maintained at the New York Botanical Garden. The species has this status wherever found including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Regulation to Govern the Management of Threatened and Endangered Species in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 1985. No known commercial potential.
Leaves are microphyllous, thick, and often limited to the tips of branches.
C. Precipitation exceeds evapotransporation throughout the year but is lower than that received in the Luquillo Mountains of northeastern Puerto Rico. Most of the Central Cordillera is of volcanic origin, upper Cretacous. Igneous rocks cover most of the area. The Toro Negro area is part of the central mountain chain that bisects the island from east to west and the highest peaks are found here. Topography is rough and deeply dissected by streams.