Luma apiculata
Encyclopedia
Luma apiculata, is a species of tree
in the genus Luma
in the family Myrtaceae
, native to the central Andes
mountains between Chile
and Argentina
between 33 and 45° South Latitude. Synonyms include Myrtus luma Mol., Eugenia apiculata DC., Myrceugenia apiculata (DC.) Niedenzu, and Myrceugenella apiculata (DC.) Kausel. Common names include Arrayán (from a Spanish
name for the related European myrtle), Kelümamüll (orange-wood) (the Mapuche
Native American name), Shortleaf Stopper, Palo Colorado and Temu.
The Chilean Myrtle grows slowly, forming a small tree of around 10 to 15 metres, rarely 20 metres. Its trunk appears twisted and contorted and has smooth bark
, coloured grey to bright orange-brown, which peels as the tree grows. It is evergreen
, with small fragrant oval leaves
2 to 2.5 centimetres long and 1.5 broad, and profuse white flower
s in early to mid summer. Its fruit
is an edible black or blue berry
1 centimeter in diameter, ripe in early autumn.
Chilean Myrtles grow along water currents in the Valdivian temperate rain forests
in Chile, while in Argentina it grows from Neuquén
south to the Chubut River
. The main forests are on the Quetrihué Peninsula (Mapuche for 'myrtles') and on Isla Victoria on the Nahuel Huapi Lake
, within the Los Arrayanes National Park
and Nahuel Huapí National Park
, respectively, in Argentina. They can be also found in lesser numbers along the Arrayanes River in Los Alerces National Park
. Trees in these protected areas are up to 650 years old. The notable Chilean Myrtle forest of the Los Arrayanes National Park covers 20 hectares of the Quetrihué Peninsula, where the cinnamon coloured Myrtles leave almost no space for other trees.
production. The Chilean Myrtle has medicinal uses
for the Mapuche people. It is also kept as bonsai
and cultivated in gardens
for the contrast of the glossy foliage and slender red stems. It has become naturalised
in parts of Ireland
and western Great Britain
and it has been planted in Spain
.
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
in the genus Luma
Luma (plant)
Luma is a genus of two species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests of southwestern South America. They are shrubs or small trees with evergreen foliage and smooth red or orange bark, typically reaching 10–20 m tall and up to 1 m trunk diameter...
in the family Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
, native to the central Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
mountains between Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
between 33 and 45° South Latitude. Synonyms include Myrtus luma Mol., Eugenia apiculata DC., Myrceugenia apiculata (DC.) Niedenzu, and Myrceugenella apiculata (DC.) Kausel. Common names include Arrayán (from a Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
name for the related European myrtle), Kelümamüll (orange-wood) (the Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
Native American name), Shortleaf Stopper, Palo Colorado and Temu.
The Chilean Myrtle grows slowly, forming a small tree of around 10 to 15 metres, rarely 20 metres. Its trunk appears twisted and contorted and has smooth bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
, coloured grey to bright orange-brown, which peels as the tree grows. It is evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
, with small fragrant oval leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
2 to 2.5 centimetres long and 1.5 broad, and profuse white flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s in early to mid summer. Its fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is an edible black or blue berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
1 centimeter in diameter, ripe in early autumn.
Chilean Myrtles grow along water currents in the Valdivian temperate rain forests
Valdivian temperate rain forests
The Valdivian temperate rain forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed-forest ecoregion located on the west coast of southern South America, lying mostly in Chile and extending into a small part of Argentina. It is part of the Neotropic ecozone. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia...
in Chile, while in Argentina it grows from Neuquén
Neuquén Province
Neuquén is a province of Argentina, located in the west of the country, at the northern end of Patagonia. It borders Mendoza Province to the north, Rio Negro Province to the southeast, and Chile to the west...
south to the Chubut River
Chubut River
The Chubut River is located in the Patagonia region of southern Argentina. Its name comes from the Tehuelche word chupat, which means "transparent". The Argentine Chubut Province, through which the river flows, is named after it...
. The main forests are on the Quetrihué Peninsula (Mapuche for 'myrtles') and on Isla Victoria on the Nahuel Huapi Lake
Nahuel Huapi Lake
Nahuel Huapi Lake is a lake in the lake region of northern Patagonia between the provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén, in Argentina. The lake depression consists of several glacial valleys carved out along faults and Miocene valleys that were later dammed by moraines.Nahuel Huapi lake, located...
, within the Los Arrayanes National Park
Los Arrayanes National Park
Los Arrayanes National Park is a national park of Argentina with an area of 17.53 square kilometres. It covers the Quetrihué Peninsula on the shore of the Nahuel Huapi Lake in the province of Neuquén, 3 km from Villa la Angostura....
and Nahuel Huapí National Park
Nahuel Huapi National Park
Established in 1934, the Nahuel Huapi National Park is the oldest national park in Argentina. It surrounds Nahuel Huapi Lake in the foothills of the Patagonian Andes. The largest of the national parks in the region, it has an area of , or nearly 2 million acres...
, respectively, in Argentina. They can be also found in lesser numbers along the Arrayanes River in Los Alerces National Park
Los Alerces National Park
The Los Alerces National Park is a national park in Chubut Province, Argentina, some 30 miles from Esquel. It is a park of 2,630 square kilometres along the border with Chile, best known for the alerce trees from which the park takes its name.The park was created in 1937 in order to protect the...
. Trees in these protected areas are up to 650 years old. The notable Chilean Myrtle forest of the Los Arrayanes National Park covers 20 hectares of the Quetrihué Peninsula, where the cinnamon coloured Myrtles leave almost no space for other trees.
Cultivation and uses
Its fruit is appreciated in Chile and Argentina and its flowers are important for honeyHoney
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
production. The Chilean Myrtle has medicinal uses
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
for the Mapuche people. It is also kept as bonsai
Bonsai
is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
and cultivated in gardens
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
for the contrast of the glossy foliage and slender red stems. It has become naturalised
Naturalisation (biology)
In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
in parts of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and western Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and it has been planted in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.