''Crinodendron patagua'', the patagua or lily of the valley tree (also a name for ''

Clethra arborea ''Clethra arborea'', commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley-tree, is a flowering plant in the genus ''Clethra''. It is found in Macaronesia where it is native to Madeira, extinction, extinct in the Canary Islands, and considered an introduced ...

''), is a species of evergreen tree. It is endemic to Chile, where it grows from 33° to 36° South latitude, up to 1200 m (4000 ft) above sea level in elevation. It is found in wet habitats and prefers ravines.

Description

This tree reaches a height up to 10 m (33 ft).

Leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are simple, oblong with serrate margins. It produces white flowers with bell-shaped corolla of five

petals Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''coroll ...

. The fruit is a capsule which is orange-colored when mature. According to Chilean folklore, the patagua originates from women who cried before God in repentance of their

sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

s. Because of this, they were saved from obliteration but suffered, in contrast to "just" people, transformation into trees. This would explain the pataguas common resemblance to human figures and why some Indigenous people would fall in love with some pataguas. Folklore also says pataguas may signal the presence of an entierro.

Cultivation and uses

It is used for honey production. The tannin contained in bark is used for tanning leather. The wood is used in furniture. It is used for reforestation. It is easy to cultivate, it can be planted by seeds and very fast-growing and tolerates frosts. It has been introduced successfully as ornamental in New Zealand,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, Wales and some parts of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, although it does not flower as freely in the United Kingdom as the equally ornamental and more widely cultivated ''

Crinodendron hookerianum ''Crinodendron hookerianum'', known as the Chilean lantern tree, is an evergreen tree in the family Elaeocarpaceae. It is endemic to Chile, where it occurs from Cautin to Palena (38 to 43°S). It grows near streams and in very humid and shady p ...

'', which is red or pink-flowered.The Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening ed. Chittenden,Fred J. 2nd ed. by Synge,Patrick M. Volume IV : Pt-Zy pps. 2144-2145 (under generic name ''Tricuspidaria'') pub. Oxford at the Clarendon Press 1965. Reprinted 1984. Etymology: ''Crinodendron'' (Greek: "lily tree") and patagua (

mapuche The Mapuche ( , ) also known as Araucanians are a group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging e ...

name of the tree). Formerly named ''Tricuspidaria dependens'' Ruiz et Pav.

References

*Adriana Hoffman. 1998. ''Flora Silvestre de Chile''. Fundación Claudio Gay. Santiago. *C. Donoso. 2005. ''Árboles nativos de Chile''. Guía de reconocimiento. Valdivia, Chile * C. Michael Hogan (2008
''Chilean Wine Palm: Jubaea chilensis'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
*Juan Ignacio Molina. 1782

Line notes

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3002674 Trees of Chile Elaeocarpaceae Ornamental trees