Luma chequen

Luma chequen, the white Chilean myrtle, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Luma in the family Myrtaceae, native to the central Andes mountains between Chile and Argentina, at latitudes located 30 to 41° South. Synonyms include Eugenia chequen Molina, Myrtus chequen (Molina) Spreng., and Luma gayana (Barn.) Burret. Common names in Spanish include chequén, huillipeta, and arrayán blanco (white myrtle).

Luma chequen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Luma
Species:	L. chequen
Binomial name
Luma chequen (Molina) A.Gray
Synonyms[1]
List Eugenia bella Phil. nom. illeg. Eugenia chekan DC. Eugenia chequen Molina Eugenia gayana Barnéoud Eugenia myrtomimeta Diels Eugenia pulchra O.Berg Luma gayana (Barnéoud) Burret Myrceugenella chequen (Molina) Kausel Myrceugenella gayana (Barnéoud) Kausel Myrceugenella langerfeldtii Kausel Myrtus chequen (Molina) Spreng. Myrtus gayana (Barnéoud) O.Berg Myrtus luma Schauer nom. illeg. Myrtus uliginosa Miq.

It is a shrub (rarely a small tree) growing to 9 m tall, with dull grey-brown bark (unlike the smooth red bark of the related Luma apiculata). It is evergreen, with small fragrant oval leaves 0.5-2.5 cm long and 0.3-1.5 cm broad, and white flowers in early to mid summer. Its fruit is an edible dark purple berry 1 cm in diameter, ripe in early autumn.

It has been introduced as ornamental in the North Pacific Coast of the United States.^[2]

Etymology

Luma is a derivation of a vernacular Chilean name for this species.^[3]