Nothomyrcia
| Nothomyrcia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Kausel |
| Species: | N. fernandeziana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Nothomyrcia fernandeziana | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Nothomyrcia is a genus in the family Myrtaceae, the myrtle family. It is a monotypic taxon, with Nothomyrcia fernandeziana (Luma de Juan Fernández) as the sole species in the genus.[2] Nothomyrcia fernandeziana is a tree endemic to Robinson Crusoe Island in the Juan Fernández Islands of Chile.[2]
Description
Nothomyrcia fernandeziana can grow to 20–28 meters in height and up to 1 meter in diameter with mature specimens.[1] Its bark is whitish or grayish, and its leaves are 3–10 cm long by 1.5–3.2 cm wide.[1] The leaves are hypostomatic with anomocytic stomatal complexes.[3] Nothomyrcia fernandeziana has hermaphrodite flowers with 4 sepals and 4 white petals with numerous stamens.[1]
Its fruits are small (8 x 8 mm), reddish when ripe with 2–3 aromatic seeds, and are dispersed by birds and by gravity.[1] Its maximum age is approximately 250 years with average radial growth of 0.16 to 0.3 cm per year.[4] There is no distinction between its sapwood and heartwood, and its dense, resistant properties have historically made it useful for constructing boats, posts, and agricultural tools.[4]
Distribution
Nothomyrcia fernandeziana is endemic to the montane forests of Robinson Crusoe Island where it historically formed dense stands with species like Drimys confertifolia.[5] The impact of introduced shrubs like Aristotelia chilensis and Rubus ulmifolius is higher in the Nothomyrcia forests than it is in areas of tree ferns.[5]
Nothomyrcia fernandeziana is at severe risk of habitat loss, as its estimated extent of occurrence is less than 36 km2.[1] Threats from introduced herbivores like rabbits, rats, and domestic livestock have caused IUCN to list this species as critically endangered.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Cádiz, A. (2023). "Nothomyrcia fernandeziana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T34177A242585008. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T34177A242585008.en. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ a b c "Nothomyrcia fernandeziana (Hook. & Arn.) Kausel". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ Retamales, Hernan A.; Scharaschkin, Tanya (November 2015). "Comparative leaf anatomy and micromorphology of the Chilean Myrtaceae: Taxonomic and ecological implications". Flora. 217: 138–154. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2015.10.005.
- ^ a b Almonacid, Pamela; Rojas-Badilla, Moisés; LeQuesne, Carlos; Muñoz-Salazar, Tomás; Christie, Duncan A. (October 2023). "Dendroecological analysis of the remote endemic Nothomyrcia fernandeziana forests of Robinson Crusoe Island in the Southeast Pacific". Dendrochronologia. 81. doi:10.1016/j.dendro.2023.126129. 126129.
- ^ a b Greimler, Joseph; López Sepúlveda, Patricio; Reiter, Karl (2018). "Vegetation". In Stuessy, Tod F.; Crawford, Daniel J.; López Sepúlveda, Patricio; Baeza, Carlos M.; Ruiz, Eduardo A. (eds.). Plants of Oceanic Islands: Evolution, Biogeography, and Conservation of the Flora of the Juan Fernández (Robinson Crusoe) Archipelago. Cambridge University Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-107-18007-9.