Ugni

Chilean guava ( Ugni molinae )

Ugni is a plant genus of the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae ), which comprises about four species. The scientific name is derived from college, the Mapuche name for Ugni molinae.

Description

It is evergreen, small trees or shrubs often of heather -like shape ( erikoid ). The small, oval to lance-shaped, dark green, decussate arranged foliage leaves have a length of 1 to 4 cm and a width of 0.2 to 2.5 cm.

The solitary flowers are usually fünfzählig, sometimes cruciform. The petals are white to pale purple. The stamens are numerous (20 to 40) with short stamens. The ovary is under constant dreikammerig. The fruits are more or less spherical berries contain a larger number of seeds.

Dissemination

All species of this genus are in western South and Central America at home, from southern Mexico to the Valdivian rainforest of southern Chile.

System

The species of this genus was formerly classified often either in Eugenia or Myrtus in. The main distinguishing features are the hanging flowers and stamens shorter than the petals. There are four types:

• Ugni candollei O.Berg: The home ranges of the Chilean Region VII to X.
• Ugni molinae Turcz. The home ranges of the Chilean Region VI to X and adjacent areas in Argentina.
• Ugni myricoides O.Berg: Southern Mexico, Central America to Bolivia, Venezuela, Northern Brazil
• Ugni selkirkii O.Berg: It is endemic to the Juan Fernández Archipeles.

Swell

• Flora Chilena (Spanish )
• Information on only four species counted species in shrubs of the Andes of Ecuador. (Spanish )
• Www.ipni.org (English )