Escallonia resinosa is a species of evergreen shrub or tree in the family Escalloniaceae.[2][3] It is native to the Andean forests of Peru, Bolivia and southern Ecuador from 2600 to 4200 meters above sea level.[4] A component of high Andean forests, it is regarded as an important source of raw materials for the Andean peoples.[5][6]
Escallonia resinosa grows as a shrub or tree from 2 to 10 m in height.[4][6] The trunk has an irregular shape and is often twisted, with a reddish papery bark.[6] Leaves are simple and spirally arranged, often clustered at the end of the branchlets, oblanceolate, 2–3.5cm long, 0.5–0.7cm wide, with a finely dentate margin.[6] Flowers are white, small (ca. 1cm long), and borne in racemes or panicles.[6]
Distribution and habitat
Escallonia resinosa is found in the Andes, from southern Ecuador to Peru and Bolivia, between 2600 and 4200 m of elevation. It is found in seasonally dry montane forests of mountain slopes, often growing in association with trees of genera Polylepis and Buddleja.[5]
Uses
Escallonia resinosa is a source of firewood and wood of good quality throughout its range.[6] This tree species furnishes a hard wood for tools and is often used to manufacture chaquitacllas (a tool used for soil plowing) by the indigenous peoples of the Andes since ancient times.[6] The wood was also probably used by the Incas to make a type of ceremonial vases called kero.[7][8] Leaves are used as a source of a beige color dye applied to cotton and wool.[9]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
