''Sophora cassioides'' is a legume tree endemic to central and southern Chile. It is one of the two species of ''Sophora'' endemic to continental Chile along with '' Sophora macrocarpa'' (other species are endemic to
insular Chile
Insular Chile, also called ''Las islas Esporádicas'', or "the Sporadic Islands", is a scattered group of oceanic islands of volcanic origin located in the South Pacific, and which are under the sovereignty of Chile. The islands lie on the N ...
).
Distribution
It is an endemic from South Chile and
Gough Island
Gough Island ( ), also known historically as Gonçalo Álvares, is a rugged volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a dependency of Tristan da Cunha and part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan d ...
. In South America it is found between Constitución and Puyuhuapi. It prefers shady places in Myrtaceae stands, alongside ''
Drimys
''Drimys'' is a genus of seven species of woody evergreen flowering plants, in the family Winteraceae. The species are native to the Neotropics, ranging from southern Mexico to the southern tip of South America.Caldcluvia'', and other hygrophyllous species. Putative hybrids with ''Sophora macrocarpa'' have been described at Bullileo (Linares). It is also found in coastal areas associated with the '' Peumus boldus''–'' Persea lingue'' alliance.
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
origin. The genus ''Sophora'' is estimated to have arrived in New Zealand 9.6–8.9 million years ago (in the
Neogene
The Neogene ( ,) is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period million years ago. It is the second period of th ...