''Polylepis australis'', also known locally as tabaquillo or queñoa is a tree

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 else ...

of central

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 ...

, member of the family Rosaceae. The genus ''Polylepis'' originated in the eastern Andean forests of eastern South America.

Description

The plant has small,

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

leaves, 7–10 cm long, normally composed of five or seven leaflets. In harsh winters, ''Polylepis australis'' survives by producing rolls of loose, papery like exfoliating brownish bark; the rough outer covering of the woody stem of tree.

Range and habitat

''Polylepis australis'' is native to the

Sierras Pampeanas The Sierras Pampeanas (also called Central Sierras or Pampas Sierras) (English: Pampas Mountains) is a geographical region of Argentina. The Sierras Pampeanas are a chain of mountains that rise sharply from the surrounding pampa region of ...

, a series of north–south-running ranges on the eastern side of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

in north-central Argentina, in the provinces of Catamarca, Córdoba,

Jujuy San Salvador de Jujuy (), commonly known as Jujuy and locally often referred to as San Salvador, is the capital and largest city of Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. Also, it is the seat of the Doctor Manuel Belgrano Department. It lies near ...

Salta Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic ce ...

, and Tucumán. It occurs from 1200 to 2900 meters elevation, most commonly in high-elevation forests and woodlands. The southernmost stands of ''Polylepis australis'' are located in the high Córdoba Mountains of central Argentina (1,200–2,884 m above sea level). South American ''

Polylepis ''Polylepis'' is a genus comprising 28 recognised shrub and tree species, that are endemic to the mid- and high-elevation regions of the tropical Andes. This group is unique in the rose family in that it is predominantly wind-pollinated. They are ...

'' mountain forests are recognised as being one of the most

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 in ...

forest ecosystems in the world. During a

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debat ...

project, D. Renison ( University of Córdoba, Argentina) found that the germination of ''Polylepis australis'' stands decreases significantly with decreasing tree coverage. The first results of additional studies carried out in collaboration with Isabell Hensen (

University of Halle Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university in ...

, Germany) indicate that a clear negative correlation exists between the viability of seeds of ''Polylepis australis'' and the degree of human influence on the woodland stands. Seeds of ''Polylepis australis'' exhibited a great variation in terms of mass and percent seed germination among individual trees and among geographical regions.

Gallery

Polylepis australis at Dundee Botanic Garden 2.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' Polylepis australis at Dundee Botanic Garden.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' Polylepis australis leaves at Dundee Botanic Garden.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' leaves Polylepis australis leaves at Dundee Botanic Garden 2.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' leaves Polylepis australis trunk at Dundee Botanic Garden.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' trunk Polylepis australis trunk at Dundee Botanic Garden 2.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' trunk Polylepis australis at Dundee Botanic Garden 3.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' Polylepis australis at Dundee Botanic Garden 4.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' Polylepis australis at Dundee Botanic Garden 6.jpg, ''Polylepis australis'' Polylepis australis at Dundee Botanic Garden 5.jpg, ''Polylepis australis''

References

{{taxonbar , from=Q541294 australis Endemic flora of Argentina Trees of Argentina Taxa named by Friedrich August Georg Bitter Flora of the Southern Andean Yungas