Maytenus magellanica Hook. f.

Shrub or small tree to 5 m, 0.3 m dbh; branches in whorls, may form a columnar shrub with both pendulous and erect branches. Branchlets grey-green to reddish brown, often clustered towards the ends of branches. Leaves evergreen, 1.4–8(–10) × 0.6–3.5(–4) cm, elliptic to lanceolate, rarely obovate, thick and leathery, upper surface dark green with a prominent midrib, lower surface yellowish or grey-green, midrib also prominent, three to four (to five) secondary veins on each side of the midrib, margins thick and recurved, serrate with 4–11 short teeth, apex acute or mucronate; petiole 0.2–0.8 cm long, grey-green to purple, often with three prominent ridges. Inflorescences composed of a single flower, or more commonly a cluster of two to six flowers; sessile or cymose. Dioecious. Flowers unisexual (rarely hermaphrodite), burgundy-coloured and fragrant, 5-merous (rarely 4-merous) and 0.3–0.4 cm diameter. Fruit a septicidal capsule, the shape varying with the number of seeds, though often bilobed and heart-shaped, 0.5–0.7 × 0.4–0.7 cm, pale peach colour; the capsule splitting in two across (not between) the lobes. Seeds one to two, dark reddish brown with a pale orange, basal aril. Flowering October to March, fruiting December to May (Argentina, Chile). Sands 1974, Rodríguez R. et al. 1983. Distribution ARGENTINA: from Neuquén Prov. to Tierra del Fuego Prov.; CHILE: from Concepción Prov. (Bío-Bío Region) to Tierra del Fuego Prov. (Magallanes Region). Habitat Coastal scrub to moist Nothofagus forest, between 0 and 1300 m asl or more. USDA Hardiness Zone 7–8. Conservation status Not evaluated. Illustration Rodríguez R. et al. 1983; NT515. Cross-references B722, S337, K300.