Gomortega

Gomortega keule
Gomortega keule in Biobío Region
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Magnoliids
Order:	Laurales
Family:	Gomortegaceae Reiche[1]
Genus:	Gomortega Ruiz & Pav.
Species:	G. keule
Binomial name
Gomortega keule (Molina) Baillon

Gomortega keule (syn. G. nitida; Spanish names Keule, Queule and Hualhual) is a tree native to Chile. It is the sole species of the genus Gomortega and, according to the APG II system of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system of 1998), of the monotypic family Gomortegaceae, assigned to the order Laurales in the clade magnoliids.

The plant grows only in a very narrow habitat range in coastal central Chile, with an example ecoregion of occurrence being the Chilean matorral.^[2] The species is endangered of extinction due to overharvesting, clearing the forests where it is found for agriculture and silviculture.

Gomortega keule produces a yellow edible sweet fruit about 34–45 millimetres (1.3–1.8 in) in diameter, harvested for making a kind of marmalade.

References and external links

The species

• Gomortega keule in Encyclopedia of the Chilean Flora
• Information on Gomortega keule (in Spanish)
• González (1998). Gomortega keule. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN A1cd v2.3)
• Pictures and habitat map of Gomortega keule (in Spanish)
• Project developed in Chile on Gomortega keule (in Spanish)
• (in Spanish)

The family

• Gomortegaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 27 April 2006. http://delta-intkey.com.
• e-floras
• NCBI Taxonomy Browser
• links at CSDL, Texas

References