Beilschmiedia miersii

taxobox
name = Beilschmiedia miersii


regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Magnoliids
ordo = Laurales
familia = Lauraceae
genus = "Beilschmiedia"
species = "B. miersii"
binomial = "Beilschmiedia miersii"
binomial_authority = (Gay) Kosterm.|

"Beilschmiedia miersii" (Northern belloto, Belloto del norte: in Spanish), an evergreen tree in the Lauraceae from central Chile from 30 to 35° lat. S., up to 1200 meters (4000 ft) above sea level and lives under very dry conditions. Reaches 25 meters (82 ft) height and 80 cm (31 in) diameter. Straight and cylindrical trunk. Gray-brownish bark.

Leaves are simple, opposite and subopposite, aovate to aovate-elliptical, entire margin, undulate, above dark lustrous, below glaucous, apex obtuse to emarginate, base obtuse to slightly subcordate, laminae about 4-11 x 1,5-5 cm, petioles very pubescent about 5-10 mm long. Flowers hermaphrodite, in inflorescences about 3-10 cm; pedicelate about 2-5 mm, yellow greenish, tepals pubescent and fleshy, style ends in a stigma papilose and obtuse.

It is locally used as ornamental. Its fruit is a brown drupe when ripe and is used for feeding pigs. Even it has been planted and acclimatized in Spain, but rarely seen in that country [cite web | url=http://www.arrakis.es/~jmanuel/Plantaschilenas.pdf | title=Chilean plants cultivated in Spain] .

References

*Hechenleitner, P., M. Gardner, P. Thomas, C. Echeverría, B. Escobar, P. Brownless y C. Martínez. 2005. Plantas Amenazadas del Centro-Sur de Chile. Distribución, Conservación y Propagación. Primera Edición. Universidad Austral de Chile y Real Jardín Botánico de Edimburgo, Valdivia. 188p.
*Rodríguez, R. y M. Quezada. 2001. Laurales. En C. Marticorena y R. Rodríguez [eds.] , Flora de Chile Vol. 2, pp 10-19. Universidad de Concepción, Concepción.
* [http://www.florachilena.cl/Niv_tax/Angiospermas/Ordenes/Laurales/Lauraceae/Beilschmiedia/B.%20miersii/Belloto%20del%20Norte.htm"Beilschmiedia miersii" in Encyclopedia of Chilean Flora]
* [http://www.patagoniaplants.com/products/trees/beilschmiedia-miersii/detailed-product-flyer.html Patagonian plants: Beilschmiedia miersii]