''Crinodendron patagua'', the patagua or lily of the valley tree (also a name for ''

Clethra arborea ''Clethra arborea'', commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley-tree, is a flowering plant in the genus '' Clethra''. It is found in Macaronesia where it is native to Madeira, extinct in the Canary Islands, and considered an introduced species ...

''), is an evergreen tree that grows in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

from 33° to 36° South latitude, up to 1200 m (4000 ft) above sea level in elevation. It lives in wet places and prefers ravines. An

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

associate tree is the

Chilean wine palm ''Jubaea'' is a genus of palms with one species, ''Jubaea chilensis'' or ''Jubaea spectabilis'', commonly known in English as the Chilean wine palm or Chile cocopalm, and palma chilena in Spanish. It is native to southwestern South America and i ...

, ''

Jubaea chilensis ''Jubaea'' is a genus of palms with one species, ''Jubaea chilensis'' or ''Jubaea spectabilis'', commonly known in English as the Chilean wine palm or Chile cocopalm, and palma chilena in Spanish. It is native to southwestern South America and i ...

'', whose distribution was much wider prehistorically. This tree reaches a height up to 10 m (33 ft).

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 simple, oblong with serrate margin. It produces white flowers with bell-shaped corolla of five

petals Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usually ...

, the fruit is a capsule which is orange-colored when mature. According to

Chilean folklore Chilean mythology includes the mythology, beliefs and folklore of the Chilean people. Evolution Chilean mythology covers of a large collection of myths and legends from the beliefs of Chile's indigenous groups (Mapuche, Tehuelche, Changos, Dia ...

the patagua originates from women who cried before God in repentance of their

sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

s. Because of this they were saved from obliteration but suffered, in contrast to "just" people, transformation into trees. This would explain the pataguas common resemblance to human figures and why some Indigenous people would fall in love with some pataguas. Folklore also says pataguas may signal the presence of an

entierro In Chilean folklore the entierros (lit. "burrowing") are legendary treasures buried in different locations by different motives. The identity of the alleged burrowers vary from case to case, sometimes being indigenous peoples, pirates and privatee ...

Cultivation and uses

It is used for honey production. The tannin contained in bark is used for

tanning Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

leather. The wood is used in furniture. It is used for reforestation. It is easy to cultivate, it can be planted by seeds and very fast-growing and tolerates frosts. It has been introduced successfully as ornamental in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, Wales and some parts of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, although it does not flower as freely in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

as the equally ornamental and more widely cultivated ''

Crinodendron hookerianum ''Crinodendron hookerianum'', known as the Chilean lantern tree, is an evergreen tree in the family Elaeocarpaceae. It is endemic to Chile, where it occurs from Cautin to Palena (38 to 43°S). It grows near streams and in very humid and shady p ...

'', which is red or pink-flowered.The Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening ed. Chittenden,Fred J. 2nd ed. by Synge,Patrick M. Volume IV : Pt-Zy pps. 2144-2145 (under generic name ''Tricuspidaria'') pub. Oxford at the Clarendon Press 1965. Reprinted 1984. Etymology: ''Crinodendron'' (Greek: "lily tree") and patagua (

mapuche The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sha ...

name of the tree). Formerly named ''Tricuspidaria dependens'' Ruiz et Pav.

References

*Adriana Hoffman. 1998. ''Flora Silvestre de Chile''. Fundación Claudio Gay. Santiago. *C. Donoso. 2005. ''Árboles nativos de Chile''. Guía de reconocimiento. Valdivia, Chile * C. Michael Hogan (2008
''Chilean Wine Palm: Jubaea chilensis'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
*Juan Ignacio Molina. 1782

Line notes

External links

* Trees of Chile Elaeocarpaceae Ornamental trees {{Oxalidales-stub