''Laureliopsis'' is a genus of flowering plants with just one species, ''Laureliopsis philippiana'', known as tepa and wawán, endemic to

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 the narrow neighboring strip of

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 ...

(35 to 45°S). In Chile it is found from Maule to Aysén. It grows on humid and deep soils.

Description

''Laureliopsis philippiana'' 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 up to 30 m (100 ft) tall and 1.4 m (55 in) in diameter, with thin bark, and aromatic wood, and a superficial resemblance to

Bay Laurel ''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cookin ...

. The leaves are aromatic, oblong, attenuate at the base, 4.9 long and 1.5–4 cm wide, glossy, leathery, the midrib with yellow hairs, the edges are heavily toothed in the two upper thirds, every tooth ends in a small point. The flowers are hermaphrodite or unisexual, they are small about 5–6 mm long, reddish-green, arranged in racemes, the peduncles are hairy about 2–3 mm long, flowers with bell-shaped

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...

split in 7-9 petals more or less equal, hairy outside, 4 stamens and 8-20 staminodes, several

carpel Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) '' pistils' ...

s, the

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 ...

is feathery with terminal stigma. The fruit is an achene almost oval, crowned by the perianth, about 1-1.3 cm long, formed by the

perigonium This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

that wraps several carpels, hairy, dark brown,

spindle Spindle may refer to: Textiles and manufacturing * Spindle (textiles), a straight spike to spin fibers into yarn * Spindle (tool), a rotating axis of a machine tool Biology * Common spindle and other species of shrubs and trees in genus ''Euony ...

-shaped seeds, about 0.8-1.2 cm long, with the style covered by hairs about 5–6 mm long.

Uses

The wood is used in construction, however it rots when exposed to outdoors moisture. 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 ...

Etymology

The name ''Laureliopsis'' indicates the superficial similarity of the plant to ''

Laurus ''Laurus'' () is a genus of evergreen trees or shrubs belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus contains three or more species, including the bay laurel or sweet bay, ''L. nobilis'', widely cultivated as an ornamental plant and a cul ...

''. Phillippiana honors

Rodolfo Armando Philippi Rodolfo Amando (or Rudolph Amandus) Philippi (14 September 1808 – 23 July 1904) was a German–Chilean paleontologist and zoologist. Philippi contributed primarily to malacology and paleontology. His grandson, Rodulfo Amando Philippi Bañados ...

, a German-Chilean naturalist.

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5971786 Atherospermataceae Flora of the Andes Flora of central Chile Trees of Chile Trees of Argentina Trees of mild maritime climate Valdivian temperate rainforest Monotypic Laurales genera