Eucryphia is a small genus of trees and large shrubs native to the south temperate regions of South America and coastal eastern Australia, predominantly Tasmania. Some common names include leatherwood in Australia, and Ulmo, Nirre or Guindo santo in Argentina and Chile. Sometimes placed in a family of their own, the Eucryphiaceae, they are placed by more recent classifications in the Cunoniaceae. There are seven species, two in South America and five in Australia, and several named hybrids.

Description

They are mostly evergreen though one species (E. glutinosa) is usually deciduous.

The leaves are opposite, and either simple or pinnate with 3–13 leaflets. The flowers are produced in late summer or autumn, are showy and sweetly scented, diameter, with four creamy-white petals, and numerous stamens and styles. The fruit is a woody capsule long containing several seeds, and maturing in 12–15 months.

Etymology

The generic name Eucryphia is composed of two parts, namely eu- and -cryphia. The Greek ευ-κρυφαιος means well-covered and refers to the foliage, which is clustered towards the apex of branches.

Species

Extant species

  • Eucryphia cordifolia <small> Cav.</small> – Valdivian temperate rain forests of southern Chile and Argentina. A tree growing up to tall; leaves simple, crenate to serrated, evergreen, long. Its wood is used for construction, furniture and lumber, and its nectar for honey.
  • Eucryphia glutinosa <small>(Poepp. & Endl.) Baill.</small> – Valdivian temperate rain forests of southern Chile. A large shrub to tall; leaves pinnate, with 3–5 leaflets, serrated, deciduous or semi-evergreen, long.
  • Eucryphia jinksii <small>P.I.Forst.</small> – subtropical New South Wales and Queensland mountain rainforests endemic, Australia. A tree to tall; leaves simple or with 3 leaflets, entire, evergreen, 5–10&nbsp;cm long (discovered 1994).
  • Eucryphia × nymansensis J.Bausch - natural hybrid of E.&nbsp;cordifolia and E.&nbsp;glutinosa native to Chile

Artificial hybrids and cultivars

(those marked have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit)

  • E. × intermedia (E. glutinosa × E. lucida)
  • E. × intermedia 'Rostrevor'
  • Eucryphia occurrence data from GBIF
  • Eucryphia in Encyclopedia of the Chilean Flora
  • Pictures of Eucryphia cordifolia and Eucryphia glutinosa in Chile.