Encenillo is a tree

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...

 native of the highlands of the Andean region of Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, which belongs to the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Cunoniaceae

Cunoniaceae

The Cunoniaceae is a family of 26 genera and about 350 species of woody plants in the Antarctic flora, with many laurifolia species with glossy leaves endemic to laurel forest habitat. The family is native to Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New Zealand, southern South America, the Mascarene...

.

Description

It is a large (15-25 m) tree, with small light green leaves (2-7 cm), with white backside, and raquis with small wings of rhomboidal shape. alternated palmatilobulated (hand-shaped) leaves. The terminal branches are divided with thick nodes with similar shape to the human metacarpus. The flowers are small spicas (4-6cm) creamy-white colored. Common names: encenillo, cáscaro, pelotillo.

Environmental position

Encenillo is one of the best adapted trees of the sub-Páramo

Páramo

The term páramo can refer to a variety of ecosystems. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as “all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline”. A more narrow term classifies the páramo according to its regional placement - specifically located in “the northern Andes...

, growing between 2500–3300 meters of altitude. It is often associated with Dendropanax colombianus

Dendropanax colombianus

Dendropanax colombianus is a tree native of the highlands of the Andean region of Colombia, which belongs to the family Araliaceae. Common names include Mano de Oso , Higuerón, and amarillo ....

, Miconia

Miconia

Miconia is a genus of flowering plants in the glory bush family, Melastomataceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The species are mostly shrubs and small to medium-sized trees up to 15 m tall...

spp., Macleania rupestris, Cavendishia cordifolia, Myrsine

Myrsine

Myrsine is a genus of flowering plants, the nominate genus of the family Myrsinaceae. It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas...

spp. and Clusia multiflora. Before the colonial period

Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....

, encenillo tree was one of the dominant species in the andean forests.

Some similar species are: Bogota

Bogotá

Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...

n encenillo (Weinmannia bogotensis), Wide-leaved encenillo (Weinmannia karsteniana), Thick-leaved encenillo (Weinmannia auriculifera), Round-leaved encenillo (Weinmannia rollotii) and Mirth encenillo (Weinmannia myrtifolia).

Uses

The encenillo tree is used as source of tanning

Tanning

Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...

 substances for the leather industry, giving to the leather a beautiful reddish color. The wood is very appreciated in the timber

Timber

Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...

 industry and is used for cooking in the traditional preparation of the cheese

Cheese

Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....

 arepa

Arepa

An arepa is a dish made of ground corn dough or cooked flour, popular in Colombia, Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking countries. It is similar in shape to the Salvadoran pupusa...

s.