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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