''Kageneckia oblonga'' (also known as bollen) is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family ''

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

''. It is an evergreen tree endemic to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. It grows from

Coquimbo Coquimbo is a port List of cities in Chile, city, Communes of Chile, 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, Chile, La S ...

to Malleco (29 to 38°S). Example occurrences are found specifically found in central

within the La Campana National Park and Cerro La Campana forest areas. In these areas the

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, inv ...

Chilean Wine Palm ''Jubaea'' is a genus of palms with one species, ''Jubaea chilensis'', 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 is endemic to a small area ...

, '' Jubaea chilensis'' is an associated tree species.C. Michael Hogan. 2008

Description

It is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

small tree or shrub that measures up to 5 m (16 ft) tall, the leaves are alternate, very leathery, with toothed edge and oblong shaped, the leaves are petiolate, yellowish-green, about 3–6 cm long. The flowers are unisexual star-shaped and white, solitary or clustered in axillary

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s. The calyx is formed by 5

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s, the corolla is made up by 5 petals. The male ones have 15-20

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s. The fruit is a pentamerous star-shaped capsule, about 2–3 cm in diameter. The seeds are winged.

Uses

The wood is very hard and it is used for elaborating tools, in traditional medicine it is used as emetic and laxative.

Etymology

Kageneckia in honour of ''Frederick von Kageneck'', Austrian ambassador to Madrid. Oblonga refers to the shape of the leaves.

References

*Torrey Botanical Club. 1905. ''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club''

External links

*C. Michael Hogan. 2008
''Chilean Wine Palm: Jubaea chilensis'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg
* * {{taxonbar , from=Q9017042 oblonga Trees of Chile Taxa named by José Antonio Pavón Jiménez Taxa named by Hipólito Ruiz López