Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii (Hook. & Arn.) Nied.

Place of Publication

Pflanzenr. 3(7): 71 (1893)

Type citation

Based on Eugenia cruckshanksii Hook. & Arn. Chile: "Valparaíso" Cruckshanks s.n. (lectotype: (designated by Landrum in Fl. Neotropica 45: 116) E. 00285759; isolectotype: K).

Synonyms

View more synonyms …

Common names

palo colorado (Landrum (1988))
temu (Landrum (1988))

References

Niedenzu (1893)

Niedenzu, F. 1893. Myrtaceae. Das Pflanzenreich 3(7):57-105
Landrum (1986)

Landrum, L.R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinum and Luma. Flora Neotropica Monograph 45:131-133
Landrum (1988)

Landrum, L R 1988. The Myrtle Family (Myrtaceae) in Chile. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 45(12):277-317

Iconography

Landrum (1988): Fig. 1E–G

Regions

Valparaíso, Metropolitana, Del General Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins, Maule, Biobío, Araucanía, Los Ríos, Los Lagos and Ñuble

Habitat

Temperate Forests, Valdivian rainforest and Relict coastal forest

Distribution and habitat

One of the most common Myrtaceae in south-central Chile occurring from Prov. Aconcagua to Llanquihue in both the coastal and Andean Cordilleras from 500 to 1000 m above sea level. Often occurring in swampy habitats, especially near to watercourses in rainforest.

Descriptions

Landrum (1986)
Landrum (1988)

Habit

Tree or shrub to 15 m tall. Flowering mostly from December to February. Fruits mature from February to April.

Key characteristics

Flowering specimens are sometimes confused with Myrceugenia exsucca (the two species often occur together) but the former has deciduous bracteoles and not persistent as in the latter. B. cruckshanksii usually has a notched leaf apex and the twigs are only sparsely hairy. In Myrceugenia exsucca the leaf apex is entire and the twigs are densely hairy (Landrum 1988).