Download Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile

Plants from the Woods
and Forests of Chile
Plants from the Woods
and Forests of Chile
— Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile by Martin
Gardner, Paulina Hechenleitner and Josefina Hepp
— Foreword by HRH The Prince Charles,
Duke of Rothesay
— 420 x 300 mm page size, 240pp
— Quarter-bound hard-back with slipcase
81 full colour plates, 1 full colour plate as fold out
— Print run limited to less than 1,000 copies
— Publication dates: English edition October 2015
Spanish edition March 2016
A rare opportunity exists to own
a truly exceptional book featuring 81 newly
commissioned beautiful water colour
paintings showing the remarkable diversity of plants
associated with the woods and forests of Chile.
Limited to less than 1,000 copies, this elegant book
has been produced to a very high standard worthy of
the paintings within and presents a rare opportunity
for a significant long-term investment.
This volume bears testimony to the distinguished
tradition upheld by the Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh in linking botanical art with science,
horticulture and education. Today this 345 year old
institution is considered a world-leading centre in all
four these disciplines.
With over 700 species being cultivated in Britain
and Ireland and with virtually no garden that doesn’t
contain at least one Chilean plant, remarkably this is
the first book to be published in English that is solely
dedicated to Chilean plants. Even more remarkable
is that many of these plants were first being
introduced to cultivation over 200 years ago.
The Artists
This book represents the labour and observations
of three talented artists who have painstakingly and
accurately recorded the minutest of details to bring
alive the beautiful plant life from an intriguing and
fascinating part of the world. The Turkish artists,
Gülnur Ekşi, Hülya Korkmaz and Işık Güner, were
trained by the highly accomplished botanical artist
Cristobel King. The legacy is evident in their skilful
paintings for which they have been honoured at
the highest level and in their teaching which is
carried out in many countries including Chile,
China, Spain, Scotland and Turkey. There is also a
valuable contribution by Mary Benstead, who is a
distinguished free-lance botanical artist.
The Authors
Martin Gardner, who has spent 30 years visiting
Chile and is regarded as a leading authority on the
cultivation of Chilean plants in the U K is joined by
two Chilean collaborators, Paulina Hechenleitner
and Josefina Hepp, who bring exceptional qualities
to this publication. In compiling the text, the three
authors have drawn on decades of experience
working with Chilean plants both in their native
habitats and in cultivation to give fascinating
insights to their distribution, habitat, conservation
and uses.
How to order
Please see the order form enclosed or
email: [email protected] to receive the form
by email.
Front cover Lobelia bridgesii, grows in coastal areas
of the Aysén Region, painted by Hülya Korkmaz
Left Mockup of book, with front cover showing
Buddleja globosa painted by Gülnur Ekşi
This page Berberis trigona a flowering shrub often
associated with Monkey Puzzle forests, painted by
Işık Güner
Gunnera tinctoria (Molina) Mirbel.
Gunneraceae
Chilean Names: Nalca and Pangue
Of all herbaceous flowering plants, Gunnera literally stands out due to its enormous stature. For
example, G. manicata from tropical South American
often reaches a height of over 2 m with leaves
spreading to almost 3 m across. Amazingly, all of
this growth is during a single growing season! In
contrast, the ground-hugging G. magellanica, from
southern Argentina, Chile and Perú, has leaves only
about 5 cm wide.
The genus Gunnera, named after the Norwegian
botanist Johann Ernst Gunnerus, has a distribution
in South America, Africa and the Australasian
region, with some species occurring as far north
as Hawaii and southern Mexico. The 10 species in
Chile include three endemic to the islands of Juan
Fernández. These island species are thought to have
evolved over a period of 4 million years (the age of
the oldest island) and originate from a single introduction of G. tinctoria from continental Chile via
migrating birds carrying seeds inside their digestive
system. Locally, G. tinctoria is known as nalca but its
English name is Chilean Rhubarb, on account of its
resemblance to the vegetable but biologically, it is
not even closely related.
Gunnera tinctoria has an extensive distribution
in Chile, from Region Coquimbo in the north,
south to Region Magallanes. In the southern part
of its range, it is also found in adjacent areas of
Argentina. With an altitudinal range of between
sea-level to 1000 meters, G. tinctoria occurs in a
wide range of natural habitat types. For example,
it is particularly frequent on the coast in southern
Chile, especially on the island of Chiloé where it
forms vast colonies on the foreshore and alongside
rivers. At higher elevations in the Andes, it can often
be seen on very steep volcanic slopes where there is
sufficient water see page 00. The spiny leaf stems
of G. tinctoria can reach up to 2 m tall and from the
base of these arise separate male and female flowering stems; these flower during the early spring and
the fruits, which are borne on stems up to 1m long,
mature in late summer to early autumn.
Recent research has discovered that G. tinctoria
is almost entirely reliant on a mutually beneficial
association with a bacterium (Nostoc punctiforme).
The bacterium enters the plant via special glands
found at the base of each leaf stalk. This initiates
an exchange of vital elements including nitrogen,
in return for carbon from the bacterium. Without
this relationship, G. tinctoria would not be able to
access nitrogen, which is essential for healthy plant
growth. The young stems, which are commonly
offered for sale in local markets, are peeled and
cooked as a vegetable or even eaten raw with salt
and chilli. A black dye is sometimes made from
the roots and the large leaves have been used as a
temporary roof covering.
Gunnera tinctoria is a popular ornamental
plant, being used especially along stream sides and
lake margins where its large architectural stature
gives temperate gardens a subtropical appearance.
However, the horticultural fascination for this
species and the fact that its fleshy colourful fruits
are well-adapted to bird dispersal, means that it
has become naturalized in non-native habitats.
Large colonies are now proving to be a considerable problem in many parts of the world, including
Australasia, Europe and North America. For
example, G. tinctoria is now a major threat to plant
biodiversity in some areas of Ireland, because
smaller neighbouring plants are out-competed by
the vigorous growth of its enormous foliage. So
severe is this situation, that in some countries such
as New Zealand it is now illegal to propagate and
plant this species.
Painted by Işık Güner
[6]
Sample page from the English edition, reduced to 65 percent
The book
Araucaria araucana (Molina) K.Koch
araucariaceae
Chilean name: Pehuén Araucaria · English name: Monkey Puzzle Tree
— Paintings have been prepared from plants growing in
UK gardens and from native habitats in Chile.
— The text is non-technical and includes details about
Includes trees, shrubs, climbers, herbaceous and
bulbous plant species, some of which have never been
painted before.
— Distribution, habitat, conservation, cultivation
and uses.
— To be published in two large format editions (one in
English and one in Spanish). Publication is scheduled
autumn 2015 for the English edition and March 2016
for the Spanish edition
It is an unforgettable experience to see this ancient
tree in its native habitat, especially the parasol
shapes of the trees silhouetted on distant mountain
ridges. It is Chile’s most famous tree known locally
as ‘pehuén’. Its English name, ‘monkey puzzle’, is
thought to have been used for the first time in the
mid-1850s when a landowner in southern England
remarked on his cultivated tree – “it would even
puzzle a monkey to climb that tree”.
Araucaria aruacana is one of 19 species scattered
across the Southern Hemisphere. This fascinating
distribution includes Argentina, southern Brazil,
New Guinea, Norfolk Island, eastern Australia
and the small tropical Pacific island of New
Caledonia where 13 species are endemic. Most
of the Araucaria trees occur in the Andes in Chile
and Argentina. In Chile forests have a restricted
distribution from the Biobío Province south to
the northern part of the Valdivia Province. There
are also two very small populations in the coastal
Nahuelbuta Cordillera.
Its habitat has an altitudinal range of between
600 and 1800 m, however at one time this range
could have been lower but these more accessible
forests have disappeared due to deforestation.
In the Andes it forms impressive pure stands
often on the slopes of snow-capped volcanoes or
in association with other conifers and southern
beech species. Mature trees have deeply fissured
bark (rarely seen in cultivated specimens) which is
an adaptation to fire – depending on the severity
of the fire, the trunks have the ability to regrow
post fire because of basal epicormic buds which lie
dormant underneath the bark. Araucaria aruacana
has the ability to reach a great age and in Parque
Nacional Nahuelbuta, which is one of the most
spectacular places to see this tree in Chile, there
is a fine example of a tree which has been dated in
excess of 2000 years of age.
In the spring and autumn the squawking of
Austral parakeets can be overwhelming as these
comical birds race over head in small flocks and
land in the crowns of the Araucaria trees. During
— Print run limited to less than 1,000 copies
— Foreword by H R H The Prince Charles,
Duke of Rothesay
— Measuring 420 x 300 mm, hard-back in a slip-case,
with 240 pages, containing 81 plates, 1 full colour plate
as fold out
both seasons it is a busy time for these energetic
birds; in the spring they feed on the pollen from
the male cones and in the autumn they can be seen
removing and eating the highly nutritious seeds
from the globe-shaped female cones. But pollination is dependant on wind and the dispersal of
seed is carried out by ground rodents hoarding the
seeds in hidden caches and leaving them uneaten.
The timber is known for its great strength,
making it suitable for the supports inside of mines
and for ship-masts but perhaps more importantly
it is the pivotal role that Araucaria has played in
the culture of indigenous people from Chile and
Argentina. Each cone contains up to 200 seeds,
called piñones, these edible seeds, rich in carbohydrates, form an important part of the indigenous
Pehuenche people’s diet. The collection, storage,
trade and preparation of meals is an important
part of the traditional lives of the Pehuenche
people. If the annual seed production decreases,
then the Pehuenche’s quality of life can deteriorate
dramatically. However, the collection of seed and
historical changes to the land use together with
frequent fire has put this extraordinary tree at
great risk hence it is now listed as Endangered.
The international trade is also strictly controlled
through the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (cites).
Its introduction to cultivation in Europe is well
documented and is said to have arisen when the
Scottish plant explorer Archibold Menzies pocketed seed from a banquet table in Santiago. This is
reputed to be the first introduction to cultivation
and since this date it has become a common tree
in Britain and Ireland. It is also grown in western
North America and the warmer parts of the
warmer parts of northern Europe.
Painted by Gülner Ekşi
[14]
Mutisia spinosa Ruiz & Pavon
Berberidopsis corallina (Reiche) R.A.Rodr. & Quezada Hook.f.
asteraceae
Flacourtiaceae
solanaceae
Chilean Name: Clavel del Campo
Chilean names: Canelo enano, Canelo andino
Chilean name: Tomatillo
The name Mutisia spinosa has connections with
some eminent naturalist who during their lifetime
helped to shape our botanical understanding of
the plant world. For example, in 1782 the genus
Mutisia was chosen by Carl Linnaeus the younger,
son of the famous Carl Linnaeus who laid the
foundation of present-day system for biological
classification. In choosing this name, Linnaeus
commemorated Mutis, a much celebrated Spanish
naturalists and one of the early botanical explorers
of tropical South America. In 1789 the species
Mutisia spinosa was published by Hipólito Ruiz and
José Pavón in their Flora Peruviana et Chilensis. This
famous ten-volume and richly illustrated work was
an early 18th century attempt at documenting the
extraordinary plant diversity of these two botanically diverse countries.
Mutisia belongs to the Compositae, which
after the Orchidaceae is the second largest family
of flowering plants. The genus Mutisia contains
59 species mainly distributed down the length of
the Andes but with a few species in south-eastern
South America. Twenty five of these species are
native to Chile, eleven of which are endemic. In
Chile they include woody-based alpines, small
shrubs or climbers. Most species have a modified
leaf tip which produces a tendril and enables plants
to creep over low vegetation or climb up through
tall shrubs and small trees. This ability to climb
is an unusual feature in the family Compositae.
Mutisia spinosa belongs to a group of closely related
species which look quite similar and sometimes
identification can be difficult. Its nearest relative
is M. ilicifolia with which it differs by having leaves
that only have marginal teeth towards the upper
or lower portion of the leaf or sometimes lacking
any teeth, whereas in M. ilicifolia the leaf margin
is normally toothed throughout. The colour of the
flowers can be quite variable from very pale lilac to
deep pink
Mutisia spinosa has a widespread distribution
in Chile from the Maule Region, south to the
Aysén Region – in the southern part of its range it
also occurs in adjacent areas of the Argentinean
Andes. It is perhaps the most commonly occurring
Mutisia in Chile growing in a wide range of habitats from sea-level to 1000 m. it forms a vigorous
climber 2–3 m tall and is often seen as a entangled
thicket covering Nothofagus dominated forest
margins and open shrubby vegetation. It has a long
flowering period from late December through to
March, but this is dependent on where it occurs in
its long north-south range.
Mutisia is perhaps not widely cultivated in
Chile but it has found a fascination amongst horticulturists in Britain and Ireland where there is a
long history of cultivation. Typically, most species
are short-lived and some species have not proved
to be very winter-hardy. Mutisia spinosa is relatively
long-lived and has proved to be reasonably winter
hardy depending of the provenance of the material
being grown. Seed is very easily propagated in a
freely drained soil; however like most members of
the Compositae plants are notorious for producing large amounts of non-viable seed. Therefore,
when selecting seed this should only be done
from seed heads that are widely open and circular
in outline.
Painted by Gülner Ekşi
The coral plant Berberidopsis corallina, or as it is
locally known as michay rojo or voqui pilfuco,
was first described by William Jackson Hooker
in 1862. Two years previous to this, in February
1860, Richard Pearce first discovered this plant in a
forested ravine near to the coastal town of Lota in
central Chile.
Pearce was one of 22 plant collectors employed
by the horticultural nursery firm, Veitch and Son
to travel the world in search of new and interesting
plants for horticulture. In his description of this
new species to science, Joseph Hooker commented:
“and it is not a little remarkable that so striking a plant
should hitherto have escaped the notice of all botanists and
collectors who have explored a region now so well known
to us as Chili”. At this time the genus Berberidopsis
was thought to be represented by a single species
endemic to Chile however, more recently (in 1984)
scientific opinion has changed to also include a
closely related species from Australia
Berberidopsis beckleri or the mountain red-berry
vine is native to south-east Queensland and New
South Wales where it occurs in montane rainforest.
Here it grows with closely related tree species
similar to those found in the native Chilean habitat
of Berberdopsis corollina.
In Chile this vigorous evergreen climber is
endemic to the coastal mountains where it has a
relatively long discontinuous north-south distribution of 130 km from just south of Concepción in the
north, to the San Juan de la Costa area west of the
town of Osorno in the south of its range.
It commonly occurs in humid ravines of forest
fragments dominated by Nothofagus dombeyi,
N. obliqua and N. nervosa but many other tree species
can also be found associated with it including:
Aextoxicon punctatum, Drimys winteri, Gomortega
keule, Laurelia sempervirens, Podocarpus salignus
and Weinmannia trichosperma. However, over
the last 40 years its natural habitat has become
severely fragmented with much of its habitat
being replaced by vast areas of Pinus radiata and
Eucalyptus plantations.
Population genetics research carried out by
the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh suggests
that the remaining population has relatively high
levels of genetic variability and that there are
significant levels of variability between the plants
that occur in the north of its range compared
with those in the south of its distribution. Such
research will help to guide conservation policy in
Chile when it comes to prioritising conservation
areas in order to protect this threatened species.
The stems of this climber have also been
traditionally used by the Huilliche people in order
to make elegant baskets and trays; today these are
still made and sold in local markets.
Once it was introduced by Pearce to cultivation in 1860, Berberidopsis corallinat became a
popular garden plant in British Isles and recent
genetic research carried out by the Royal Botanic
Garden Edinburgh has tested to see how variable
plants are in cultivation today.
Leaf material requested from the gardening
public was analysed and the results suggested that
cultivated plants hold a relatively broad range of
genetic variation. The significance of this research
has shown the value of cultivating threatened
plant species, in that they can play an important
role in preserving genetic variation (in this case
over a period of 150 years). Such material can have
the potential of aiding restoration programmes of
native plant populations.
Propagation can be from seed soaked in water
for 24 hours and sown in glasshouse conditions
with a bottom heat of between 15–20°c; germination takes between 20 to 75 days. It also readily
propagates from 4–8 cm long semi-ripe basal
cuttings which can be nodal or with a heal. Treat
with a rooting hormone and insert into compost
with a bottom heat of 18°c. Use intermittent
mist or cover with plastic and rooting will take
place between 3–6 weeks, often with a 100%
success rate.
Painted by Gülner Ekşi
[4]
[10]
Solanum crispum Ruiz & Pav.
With an estimated 14000 species, the genus
Solanum is the largest in the family Solanaceae.
Species can vary from annual herbs to trees and
even form vigorous woody climbers. Many species,
such as the potatoes, have starchy underground
tubers and form the staple diet of many people
around the temperate world. Solanum also includes
species with large fleshy fruits which are the
tomato relatives. Although Solanum has a worldwide distribution, most species occur in South
America especially on the slopes of the Andes. In
Chile there are about 40 species distributed from
the Atacama Desert to the temperate rainforests in
the south of the country.
Solanum crispum is endemic to Chile but also
occurs in a small part of bordering southern
Argentina where plants in the Neuquén area are
thought to have been introduced from Chile for
their medicinal properties. In Chile it occurs from
the Coquimbo Region, south to the Island of
Chiloé in the Los Lagos Region. Within this 1200
km north-south distribution it has an extensive
altitudinal range from just above sea-level to 2500
m. Such geographic extremes give rise to a wide
variety of habitats which include secondary humid
Nothofagus forest both coastal and Andean, to
sparsely vegetated, dry mountain slopes. It is also
a very variable species in growth and leaf form.
Plants can be small shrubs to only 1 m or less in
height with hairless, shiny green leaves which are
often recurved at the margin (hence the species
name ‘crispum’). This type of plant is often seen at
higher elevations especially in the northern part of
the species range. Other plants at lower altitudes,
and often in the southern part of the species range,
can grow into large shrubs up to 6m tall with
very large leaves (7 x 7 cm) which are finely hairy.
Depending on longitude and altitude, plants can
flower in August through to February and these
are produced on arching, leafy stems. The fruits,
which are normally produced in abundance, often
weighing-down the stems, are produced from
January to March.
Vicia nigricans Hook. & Arn. subsp. nigricans
Drimys andina (Reiche) R.A.Rodr. & Quezada
Sophora cassioides (Phil.) Sparre
Winteraceae
leGuMinosae
Chilean Common Names: Arvejilla
Chilean names: Canelo enano, Canelo andino
Chilean names: Pelú, Pilo
The genus Drimys is endemic to the Americas and comprises
five species which have a geographical range extending from
Mexico through to Tierra del Fuego. Drimys andina was first
described as a new species in 1893 by the German botanist
Karl Friedrich Reiche who worked at the National Museum
of Natural History in Santiago de Chile from 1896 to 1911.
It is one of three species native to Chile and closely related to
the more geographically widespread Drimys winteri in which
it is sometimes included as a variety. The only other species
native to Chile is Drimys confertifolia, which is endemic to the
Juan Fernández Islands.
Drimys andina has an altitudinal range of between 600
and 1500 metres and forms an under-shrub in the forested
mountains of southern Chile and along a small section of
the neighbouring Argentinean Andes. In its only coastal
Chilean location, in Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta, it is codominant in dense Araucaria forest with other shrubs such
as Desfontainia spinosa, Raukaua laetivirens and the bamboo
Chusquea culeou. In the northern part of its Andean range
it is often associated with Araucaria but further south it is
frequently associated with Nothofagus dombeyi and
N. pumilio. In its most southerly locations in the National
Parks of Alerce Andino and Hornopirén it grows with
Fitzroya cupressoides.
In 1557 Captain John Winter, commander of Captain
Drake’s voyage through the Straits of Magellan, discovered
from the local people that the aromatic bark is an effective
treatment for scurvy and a tea made from it is said to be a
good cure for stomach ailments. In cultivation it is confined
to specialist collections. Recent introductions from the
Chilean Andes and the coastal mountains have proved to
grow well in the very acidic soils in Benmore Botanic Garden
on the west coast of Scotland.
One of the most distinctive trees to be found in
the woodlands and forests of Chile is Sophora; the
unmistakeable leaves and flowers are characteristic
of the legume or pea family, the Leguminosae. Of
the 50 species worldwide, there is a small group in
the Southern Hemisphere with very close affinities. The Chilean species S. cassioides or Pelú, as it
is locally known, is closely related to S. microphylla
from New Zealand and until relatively recently was
thought to be the same species.
Although there are several theories to explain
the origin of Sophora in Chile, there is good evidence to suggest that relevantly recently (between
2–5 million years ago), in geological time-periods,
the Chilean species arrived in southern Chile
from New Zealand by seed on oceanic currents.In
1968 experiments were carried out to support this
theory of transoceanic dispersal by floating Sophora
seed for a period of three years after which two out
of three seeds germinated. This will also help to
further explain why other closely related species
of Sophora also occurs on the Pacific islands of Juan
Fernández and on Easter Island.
Sophora cassioides has a southern distribution
from the Maule Region south to the very remote
Laguna San Rafael in the Aysén Region. In
the northern part of the range its distribution
overlaps with the closely related S. macrocarpa
which has a more northern distribution in Chile’s
Mediterranean zone. Sophora cassioides is a lowland
species, occurring from sea-level to 1000 m and
is often seen growing on the margins of lakes and
rivers in evergreen rainforests. These habitats, next
to water, are ecologically important in assisting the
dispersal of the water buoyant Sophora seeds which
mature in mid to late summer. Sophora cassioides
can form a small, evergreen tree to a maximum
of 10 m tall but usually it is much smaller and
in early spring it produces copious amounts of
golden-yellow flowers. These flowers are attractive
humming birds and non-hovering birds which are
capable of swivelling the flower into the correct
position in order to extract the nectar.
[21]
stems and its branched tendrils enable it to climb
to a height of 3m or more. The inflorescence is
of between 8–19 flowers and in some cases these
can be closely packed. The flower colour can
vary from very pale yellow to rose-purple and
those plants with flowers at the yellow end of the
colour range turn a burnt orange with maturity.
Characteristically the seed pods are black (hence
the species name of nigricans) and like many family
members, on drying the pods twist and split which
expels the seeds away from the mother plant. The
habitat of V. nigricans is wide-ranging from under
the canopy of humid forests to open Andean
slopes. Plants from the alpine habitat form low
scrambling plants often growing in relatively
extensive colonies and these plants are sometimes
referred to as V. andina, however recent research
has established that these are the same entity as V.
nigricans subsp. nigricans.
This species is very rarely cultivated but this
plate was prepared using material growing in
the rock garden at the Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh where it flowered and fruited for the
last 15 years. It was collected from the Maule Valley
where it was growing in open, steep boulder screes
at an altitude of 1750 m.
Painted by Işık Güner
Painted by Gülner Ekşi
[2]
Pintado por Işık Güner
[17]
leGuMinosae
Vicia is a member of the legume family
(Leguminosae) and belongs to a tribe which
contains some of humanity’s oldest crop plants
including peas (Pisum) and lentils (Lens). The genus
Vicia contains around 160 species distributed
throughout temperate regions of the northern
hemisphere and in temperate South America. In
Chile there are about nine species distributed from
Quebrada de Lluta in the humid coastal valleys
of Tarapacá along the coast and the length of the
Andes to Tierra del Fuego.
The discontinuous distribution of Vicia nigricans between North America and Chile gives fascinating insights to long-distance seed dispersal. In
North America V. nigricans (subsp. gigantea) occurs
from Alaska to California from where seed has
been dispersed to Chile via migrating birds down
the Pacific Flyway – the longest migration route in
the Americas. In Chile V. nigricans subsp. nigricans
has a long distribution from the Valparaíso Region
in the north, down to the Aysén Region and occurs
in both the Andes and the Coastal Cordillera
with an altitudinal range of 50 to 3050m. In the
northern part of its range it occurs in forested
coastal ravines near to Zapallar where it is often
associated with Beilschmiedia mersii at about 75m
in elevation, and in the pre-Andean and Andean
Cordillera growing among rocks and shrubs to
3050m. In the Metropolitana Region it occurs
around Santiago, for example on Cerro Caleu, in
association with Nothofagus macrocarpa forest at
the margins of small streams together with Azara
petiolaris, Drimys winteri and Luma chequen at about
615m. In central-south Chile it is encountered
both in the Coastal Cordillera and in the Andean
Cordillera. Towards the southern end of its range
it also occurs across the Andes in neighbouring
parts of Argentina in the Provinces of Chubut and
Neuquén where it is confined to humid rainforests
often in association with Nothofagus species and
Austrocedrus chilensis forests.
Vicia nigricans is the most robust of all the
South American vetch species; it has very stout
For over two centuries Solanum crispum has
been used for reducing fevers. For example, it has
been used in the treatment of congo fever which
is caused by tick bites and chavalongo fever, a
serious condition as a result of excessive exposure
to the sun. Certain forms of this species are highly
ornamental especially the clone ‘Glasnevin’ which
forms a fast growing, sprawling wall shrub and
flowers over a long summer period. Solanum
crispum was first introduced to Europe through
the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew from seed collected by Hugh Cuming in 1830. More recently
an introduction of the large leaved form of this
species has been made through the Royal Botanic
Garden Edinburgh.
[19]
The very distinctive yellow wood of S. cassioides
is hard and extremely durable which makes it
ideal for making tool handles. Traditionally, its
use has been restricted for making carriage wheels
and plough blades and because of the relatively
small stature of this tree, the wood is not suitable
for construction purposes. Not surprisingly, this
attractive flowering tree is a very popular ornamental in Chile and is widely used in the smaller garden
and as a street tree in the south of the country. It is
also widely grown in other temperate parts of the
world where winter temperatures are not too low.
However, it is likely that many trees in cultivation
outside of Chile have been confused with the very
closely related S. microphylla from New Zealand
which looks remarkably similar. The most appropriate method for propagation is by seed which
should be collected before they become too dried
in the pods. The seed should be imbibed in water
over night and sown in a warm environment when
germination will take only about 20 days.
Painted by Işık Güner
Below Pasithea caerulea painted
by Işık Güner. An exquisite bulb
from coastal Chile.
Chile – a land of extremes
Chile is a biogeographic island, the narrow
territory sandwiched between the imposing
snow-capped Andes and the mighty Pacific
Ocean. It is a remarkable land of contrasts
boosting some of the tallest mountains
in South America, including over 600
volcanoes, the worlds’ driest and coolest
deserts and breath-taking forested habitats.
Chile’s rainforests boost the highest rate of
biodiversity of the world’s temperate forests.
Almost 2200 species are unique to Chile – 46%
of the total flora – this highest percentage of
any South American country. However the
country has recoded devastating forest loss in
the past 40 years – the greatest ever recorded
for any temperate rainforest. Alas 20 species
depicted in this book are at risk of extinction!
The flora of Chile
Even though Chile’s flora of 5,000 plant
species is relatively few compared with the
richness of some neighbouring countries,
it does have the highest percentage (46%)
of endemic species in South America. This
diversity is because Chile is a biogeographic
island; bounded to the west by the Pacific
Ocean, to the east by the high Andes and to
the north by the Atacama Desert. However,
much of Chile’s flora is under great threat, for
example, estimates show a 40% decline in the
forests of central and southern Chile.
The International Conifer
Conservation Programme
in Chile
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE)
in collaboration with the Universidad Austral
de Chile (UACh) has developed effective
strategies aimed at safeguarding the long-term
future of some of the most threatened plant
species from Chile’s forested regions. The
project produced the book ‘Threatened Plants
of Central and South Chile’ which details
46 threatened plant species. R B GE has one
of the world’s largest conservation research
collections of cultivated Chilean plants.
Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile is published by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a charity (registration
number SC007983) · All images and text © Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 2015 · Designed by Dalrymple · Printed by Albe De Coker, Belgium