Fuinque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fuinque |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Lomatia
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| Species: |
ferruginea
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The fuinque (scientific name: Lomatia ferruginea) is a small tree that stays green all year round. It belongs to the Proteaceae plant family.
You can find this tree growing naturally in southern Argentina and Chile. It's common in the Patagonia region of South America. In Chile, it grows from the Curicó area all the way down to Magallanes. It likes to grow in soil that is deep and moist.
Contents
What the Fuinque Tree Looks Like
The fuinque tree can grow up to 6 metres (20 ft) (about 20 feet) tall. It is an evergreen tree, meaning its leaves stay green all year and do not fall off in autumn. It doesn't have many branches. When new shoots grow, they are covered in soft, reddish-brown hairs.
Fuinque Leaves
The leaves of the fuinque tree are quite special. They are "composite" and "bipinnate," which means they are made up of many smaller leaflets arranged like a fern. They grow opposite each other on the stem and have a small stalk called a petiole. Each leaf is about 13–14 cm (5–5.5 inches) long and 8–10 cm (3–4 inches) wide. The top side of the leaf is green, while the underside is reddish-brown.
Fuinque Flowers
The flowers of the fuinque are "hermaphrodite," which means each flower has both male and female parts. They grow on small stalks called pedicels. The flowers are about 2 cm (0.8 inches) long and grow in clusters called racemes. These clusters are shorter than the leaves. Each cluster has about 14 to 16 flowers that grow opposite each other.
When they are still buds, the flowers are grayish-yellow. Each flower has four parts called tepals. Tepals are like petals and sepals combined. These tepals are oval-shaped and have two colors: reddish-brown with green tips. They get thinner in the middle and then widen again at the top, which is shaped like a cup. They are about 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) long. Inside the flower, you'll find the male parts, called anthers, which hold pollen. They are attached to the cup-shaped tips of the tepals. The female part has a long style and a red, round, and slanted stigma at its tip, which collects pollen.
Fuinque Fruit and Seeds
After the flowers, the fuinque produces a woody, dark brown fruit. This fruit is a type of dry fruit called a follicle. It is about 3.5-4.0 cm (1.4–1.6 inches) wide and 1 cm (0.4 inches) long. The fruit is made of two parts, called valves, that split open when ripe. It hangs downwards on a thin stalk, like a peduncle. At the top, it extends into a point from where the style used to be. Inside, there are many seeds that overlap each other, like roof tiles. These seeds have wings and are flat at the tip. They are about 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) wide and 0.5 mm (0.02 inches) thick.
Naming the Fuinque Tree
The fuinque tree was first described by a scientist named Antonio José Cavanilles. The scientific name Lomatia comes from an Ancient Greek word, lomas, which means "edge." This refers to the edge or border of the seeds. The second part of the name, ferruginea, comes from a Latin word meaning "ferrous" or "rusty." This describes the reddish-brown color you can see on the new shoots of the tree.
How People Use the Fuinque Tree
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The wood of the fuinque tree is very special because of its beautiful grain (the pattern you see in the wood). Because of this, it is often used in carpentry to make furniture or other wooden items.
The fuinque is also highly valued as an ornamental tree in Chile. This means people like to plant it in gardens and parks because it looks beautiful. It has even been planted in other countries like Scotland and the Faroe Islands. In these places, it has been so successful that it often grows new trees from its own seeds without help.
See also
In Spanish: Helecho de árbol para niños
