''Myrceugenia colchaguensis'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of small evergreen tree in the genus ''

Myrceugenia ''Myrceugenia'' is a genus of evergreen woody flowering trees and shrubs belonging to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, first described as a genus in 1855.

'' of the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Chile where it is found in the coastal mountain range at altitudes below . Common names by which this tree is known include colchaguillo, arrayan de colchagua and lumilla.

Description

''Myrceugenia colchaguensis'' is a large shrub or small evergreen tree growing to a height of about . The bark is pale brown, smooth at first but later becoming fissured. The young shoots are densely hairy but this pubescence is lost on older stems and leaves. The opposite pairs of short-stalked leaves are long and wide. They have entire margins and blunt or rounded tips and rounded bases, being dark green above and pale green beneath. The flowers grow singly in the axes of the leaves. The four calyx lobes are covered in dense yellow hairs and the four petals are white. Each flower has a cluster of about two hundred

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s and a single, slightly longer

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 berries are green at first but ripen to yellow and orange with a diameter of about . The flowering period is January and February and the fruits ripen in October and November.

Distribution and habitat

''Myrceugenia colchaguensis'' is endemic to the coastal region of Chile and has a distribution that extends from the province of Valparaiso to Cautín. Although this range is wide, it is also extremely patchy as it is present only in a number of small subpopulations in coastal areas, one or two in the

Chilean Central Valley The Central Valley ( es, Valle Central), Intermediate Depression, or Longitudinal Valley is the depression between the Chilean Coastal Range and the Andes Mountains. The Chilean Central Valley extends from the border with Peru to Puerto Montt in s ...

and possibly one in the Andes. Its altitudinal range is . It prefers humid habitats and usually grows among other members of the family Myrtaceae. It is only present in about ten locations and is considered " critically endangered".Hechenleitner V., P., M. F. Gardner, P. I. Thomas, C. Echeverría, B. Escobar, P. Brownless y C. Martínez A. 2005. Plantas Amenazadas del Centro-Sur de Chile. Distribución, Conservación y Propagación. Primera Edición. Universidad Austral de Chile y Real Jardín Botánico de Edimburgo. 188 pp.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6035158 Trees of Chile colchaguensis Endemic flora of Chile