Luma chequen

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Myrtales

Familia: Myrtaceae
Subfamilia: Myrtoideae
Tribus: Myrteae
Subtribus: Luminae
Genus: Luma
Species: Luma chequen
Name

Luma chequen (Molina) A.Gray
References

C. Wilkes, U.S. Expl. Exped., Phan. 15:536. 1854
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Luma chequen in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Vernacular names
English: White Chilean Myrtle

Luma chequen, the white Chilean myrtle, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Luma in the family Myrtaceae, native to the central Andes mountains between Chile and Argentina, at latitudes located 30 to 41° South. Synonyms include Eugenia chequen Molina, Myrtus chequen (Molina) Spreng., and Luma gayana (Barn.) Burret. Common names in Spanish include chequén, huillipeta, and arrayán blanco (white myrtle).

It is a shrub (rarely a small tree) growing to 9 m tall, with dull grey-brown bark (unlike the smooth red bark of the related Luma apiculata). It is evergreen, with small fragrant oval leaves 0.5-2.5 cm long and 0.3-1.5 cm broad, and white flowers in early to mid summer. Its fruit is an edible dark purple berry 1 cm in diameter, ripe in early autumn.

It has been introduced as ornamental in the North Pacific Coast of the United States.[2]
Etymology

Luma is a derivation of a vernacular Chilean name for this species.[3]
External links

"The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved February 5, 2014.
"Luma chequen in Washington Park Arboretum" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-24.

Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN 9780521685535 (paperback). pp 243

Luma chequen in Encyclopedia of the Chilean Flora
Luma chequen in Chilebosque