The species was described as Temu cruckshanksii by Otto Karl Berg in 1861,[3] but was later placed in the genus Blepharocalyx. After phylogenetic analyses of the tribe Mytreae found Blepharocalyx to be polyphyletic,[4] the species was returned to the genus Temu in 2019.[5]
Description
The plant grows to be 15 meters with a trunk diameter of approximately 50 centimeters. The bark is smooth and reddish brown. Leaves are oval-shaped, while the flowers are white and arranged in inflorescences. Fruits are round, dark brown with hints of reddish tone, and taste bitter.
The toponym of Temuco, a city in southern Chile, derives from this species, meaning in the Mapuche language "Temu water" or "temu in the water" ("co" means water in the Mapuche language).
It grows in temperate forests, and in relict coastal forests in the mediterranean-climate north. It grows in humid and shady places or on the banks of watercourses in both the Chilean Coast Range and the foothills of the Andes from 400 to 1,000 meters of elevation. It does not tolerate regular snow, but can withstand occasional short-duration frosts to approximately -5°C.[1]
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