Lomatia hirsuta, known as radal, is a tree native to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

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 ...

, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. In Chile it grows from

Coquimbo Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo is situated in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than ...

to Chiloe (36 to 42°S). It grows on a variety of soils and humidity. It grows on poor soils near ravines.

Description

''Lomatia hirsuta'' is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

tree that measures up to 15 m (50 ft) tall and 80 cm (31 in) in diameter. Light-grey bark with longitudinal fissures. The leaves are alternate, ovate, heart-shaped base, the petioles are about 2–3 cm long, the leaves are 5-20 long and 4–12 cm wide, toothed edge, dark glossy green above and dull below, the nervation is distinct underneath, The flowers are hermaphrodite, greenish-yellow color, covered in a rusty red, the flowers are arranged in axillary clustered

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...

s . Every flower is formed by four linear

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s, 4 sessile stamens and a shorter

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

. The fruit is a greyish-black follicle almost woody and oval-oblong shaped 2–4 cm long, made up by two valves. Brown winged seeds arranged in imbricate form about 15 mm wide and 5.6 mm long.

Etymology

''Lomatia''; from the Greek lomas ('fringe'), because of the seeds' edge, ''hirsuta'' from the Latin 'hairy'; the Spanish name is 'radal', which in turn comes from Mapudungun radal, the

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 s ...

name of this plant.

Uses

The wood has beautiful marks, it is similar to Chilean hazel, but 'less elegant.' The leaves are used for dyeing wood brown color. It has been planted in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

as far north as

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3006577 hirsuta Flora of Argentina Flora of Chile Flora of Peru Trees of southern South America Trees of Mediterranean climate Trees of mild maritime climate