Ugni
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ugni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ugni molinae | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Subfamily: | Myrtoideae |
| Tribe: | Myrteae |
| Genus: | Ugni Turcz. |
| Type species | |
| Ugni molinae | |
Ugni is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, described as a genus in 1848.[1][2] It is native to western Latin America from the Valdivian temperate rain forests of southern Chile (including the Juan Fernández Islands) and adjacent regions of southern Argentina, north to southern Mexico.[3]
They are shrubs with evergreen foliage, reaching 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ft) tall. The leaves are opposite, oval, 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) long and 0.2–2.5 cm (0.08–1 in) broad, entire, glossy dark green, with a spicy scent if crushed. The flowers are drooping, 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) diameter with four or five white or pale pink petals and numerous short stamens; the fruit is a small red or purple berry 1 cm diameter.[4][5][6]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Ugni candollei (Barnéoud) O.Berg | Central to southern Chile |
.jpg) | Ugni molinae Turcz. | Central to southern Chile, southern Argentina; naturalized in New Zealand and Juan Fernández Islands |
.jpg) | Ugni myricoides (Kunth) O.Berg | Mexico (Hidalgo, Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas), Central America, South America (Guyana, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, NW Brazil (Amazonas + Roraima)). |
| Ugni selkirkii (Hook. & Arn.) O.Berg | Robinson Crusoe Island | |
Etymology
The scientific name derives from the Mapuche Native American name Uñi for U. molinae. The genus was formerly often included in either Myrtus or Eugenia; it is distinguished from these by the drooping flowers with stamens shorter than the petals.