Ugni molinae
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 Murtilla, Ugni molinae
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| Ugni molinae Turcz. |
Ugni molinae (syn. Myrtus ugni, Eugenia ugni) is a shrub native to southern Chile. The Mapuche Native American name is Uñi, and Spanish names include Murta and Murtilla ("little myrtle"); it is also sometimes known as "Chilean guava" (it is related to the Guava, though not closely so).
It is a shrub growing to 1-2 m tall with evergreen foliage. The leaves are opposite, oval, 1-2 cm long and 1-1.5 cm broad, entire, glossy dark green, with a spicy scent if crushed. The flowers are drooping, 1 cm diameter with four or five white or pale pink petals and numerous short stamens; the fruit is a small red or purple berry 1 cm diameter with a strong strawberry flavour.
The fruit is cultivated to a small extent for the production of strawberry flavouring. It was introduced to England in 1844 by the botanist and plant collector William Lobb, where it became a favourite fruit of Queen Victoria. It is also grown as an ornamental plant.
[edit] External links
- Chilean government project promoting its commercial use (in Spanish)
