''Chiliotrichum diffusum'' is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of small shrub, a
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...
in the family
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...
, commonly known as ''fachine'', ''fascine'' or ''mata verde'' in Spanish.
It is native to the southern tip of South America and the
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubou ...
.
Description
''Chiliotrichum diffusum'' is a small, much-branched shrub growing to a height of about . It resembles a
rosemary
''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was known by the scientific name ''Rosma ...
bush with aromatic greyish-green foliage. The leaves are elliptical or
lanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regula ...
, dark green above and hairy beneath. The white, daisy-like flowers are about in diameter.
[
]
Distribution and habitat
Its range extends from Valdivia
Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau ...
to the Magallanes Province
Magallanes Province ( es, Provincia de Magallanes) is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena. The provincial capital is the city of Punta Arenas.
Geography and demography
Its eastern portion is l ...
in Chile and it is found in the southern part of Argentina, from sea level to about .[
In the Falklands Islands, at one time it was common but since the arrival of livestock on the islands, it now mainly occurs in valley bottoms, ravines and other inaccessible places.]Nothofagus
''Nothofagus'', also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 43 species of trees and shrubs native to the Southern Hemisphere in southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Gu ...
'' forest.
Ecology
''Chiliotrichum diffusum'' is native to steppe grassland in Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands, where it is one of the dominant shrubby plants in a community that includes ''Trevoa
''Trevoa'' is a genus of actinorhizal plants; these dicotyledon flora are trees or small shrubs. The genus was first proposed by Miers in 1825, but was not fully described until 1830 by Sir William Jackson Hooker. Genus members are notable for th ...
'', ''Schinus polygama
''Schinus polygama'', the Hardee peppertree or Chilean pepper tree, is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae native to Argentina and Chile and naturalized in California.
Taxonomy
The species name has been spelled ''Schinus polygamus'', ...
'', '' Paleaepappus patagonicus'', '' Berberis microphylla'', various grasses and sedges.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2963614
Astereae