''Gevuina avellana'' (Chilean hazelnut ( in Spanish), or ''Gevuina hazelnut''), is an evergreen tree, up to 20 meters (65 feet) tall. It is the only species currently classified in the genus ''Gevuina''. It is native to southern Chile and adjacent valleys in Argentina. It is found from sea level to 700 meters (2300 feet) above sea level. Its distribution extends from 35° to 44° south latitude. The composite

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are bright green and toothed, and the tree is in flower between July and November. The flowers are very small and beige to whitish, are

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

and group two by two in long racemes. The fruit is a dark red nut when young and turns black. The peel is woody. It can grow up straight or branched from the soil, making up either a tree or a shrub. The name ''Gevuina'' comes from , the Mapuche Indigenous name for the Chilean hazel. The origin of the Spanish name, ''avellano'' come from the fact the Spanish settlers found the nuts similar to the

hazelnut The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according t ...

s they knew from Europe. Yet the species are not closely related. The concentration of ''Gevuina avellana'' in forest is highly irregular and difficult to predict. It may grow on flatland or hilly terrain, in clay or stony soils. Usually ''Gevuina avellana'' grows in association to other broad-leaved trees such as '' Nothofagus obliqua'', '' Nothofagus dombeyi'', '' Nothofagus alpina'', '' Nothofagus glauca'' or ''

Laureliopsis ''Laureliopsis'' is a genus of flowering plants with just one species, ''Laureliopsis philippiana'', known as tepa and wawán, endemic to Chile and the narrow neighboring strip of Argentina (35 to 45°S). In Chile it is found from Maule to Ays� ...

''. Yet it does also grow in associations dominated by the conifers ''

Austrocedrus ''Austrocedrus'' is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family ( Cupressaceae). It has only one species, ''Austrocedrus chilensis'', native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and the adjacent drier steppe-forests of central-southern ...

'', '' Fitzroya'' and '' Pilgerodendron''. As such ''Gevuina avellana'' does not form pure stands.

Taxonomy

''Gevuina'' is a genus of either 1 or 3 species of the family

Proteaceae The Proteaceae form a family of flowering plants predominantly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises 83 genera with about 1,660 known species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae, they make up the order Pro ...

. In some classifications, ''Gevuinia'' is recognised with three species: one endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

('' Gevuina bleasdalei''), another to New Guinea ('' Gevuina papuana''), and one species in both Chile (''Gevuina avellana''). Other taxonomic reports place the Australian and New Guinea species in the genus '' Bleasdalea'' or in the Fijian endemic genus '' Turrillia'', and leave ''Gevuina'' with only ''Gevuina avellana''. The Flora of Australia retains these 2 species in ''Gevuinia'', but the most recent classification places the Australian and New Guinea species as ''

Bleasdalea bleasdalei ''Bleasdalea bleasdalei'' is a species of rainforest tree in the family Proteaceae from far north Queensland. First described as ''Grevillea bleasdalei'' by Ferdinand von Mueller, it was placed in its current genus in 1975. References blea ...

'' and '' B. papuana''

Uses and cultivation

The seeds are eaten raw, cooked in boiling water or toasted. The

nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

s contain about 12 percent protein, 49 percent oil, and 24 percent carbohydrates. The seed has a very high concentration of monounsaturated oils and is also obtained for several purposes in Chile. It is rich in

antioxidant Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricant ...

s such as vitamin E ( α-tocotrienol) and β-carotene. Its oil is an ingredient in some

sunscreen Sunscreen, also known as sunblock or sun cream, is a photoprotective topical product for the skin that mainly absorbs, or to a much lesser extent reflects, some of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thus helps protect against sunburn and ...

s. Gevuina oil is used as a cosmetic ingredient for its moisturizing qualities and because it is a source of omega 7 fatty acids ( palmitoleic acid).FR 2681530 A1 (SO.F.I.A. Cosmetiques (S.A.R.L.)) 26.03.1993 Production of seeds may vary greatly from tree to tree. The tree is a good honey plant for bees and is also cultivated as an ornamental plant. The seed shells contain tannin that is used for tanning leather. The tree has an acceptable frost resistance (at least −12 °C (10 °F)) when mature. The wood is cream-colored with dark brown streaking and is used in cabinetry and musical instruments. It was introduced to Great Britain in 1826. It grows well there, in Ireland and in New Zealand and California. A few specimens are cultivated in Spain and in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It grows well in temperate oceanic climates with cool temperatures where frosts occur commonly in winter, and has thrived in southern New Zealand. It needs 5 years to first harvest and 7 or 8 years for full production. In Seattle, Washington,

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

s and birds eat seeds from the trees. New varieties of greater yield than the original wild stock are being developed in both Chile and New Zealand. As of 1982 only a tiny faction of the nuts of wild stands were collected for processing.

Gallery

Image:Gevuina_avellana_1.jpg, Leaves and flowers Image:Gevuina_avellana-Avellano_%28rama%29.JPG, Twig Image:Gevuina_avellana_Flor_y_fruto_de_avellano_%28RastaChango%29.jpg, Flowers and fruits Image:Gevuina_avellana-fruto_%28avellana%29.JPG, Fallen nuts

Notes

Reference

Sources

*Rodríguez, Roberto; Mathei, Oscar y Quezada, Max. 1983. Flora arbórea de Chile. Universidad de Concepción. 408p. * Donoso, C. 2005. Árboles nativos de Chile. Guía de reconocimiento. Edición 4. Marisa Cuneo Ediciones, Valdivia, Chile. 136p. * Hoffmann, A. 1982. Flora silvestre de Chile zona araucana. Edición 4. Ediciones Fundación Claudio Gay, Santiago, Chile. 258p. *Muñoz, M. 1980. Flora del Parque Nacional Puyehue. Editorial Universitaria, Santiago, Chile. 557p. * * * * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q3104697, from2=Q2716551 Proteaceae Flora of Argentina Flora of central Chile Fruit trees Trees of Chile Chilean Matorral Monotypic Proteaceae genera Crops originating from Chile Edible nuts and seeds Trees of mild maritime climate Garden plants of South America Ornamental trees

Taxonomy

Uses and cultivation

Gallery

See also

Notes

Reference

Sources