| Aextoxicon | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Berberidopsidales |
| Family: | Aextoxicaceae Engl. &Gilg[2] |
| Genus: | Aextoxicon Ruiz &Pav. |
| Species: | A. punctatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Aextoxicon punctatum | |
Aextoxicon is a genus ofdioecious[3]trees native to southern Chile and Argentina. It is the only genus in themonotypic familyAextoxicaceae, and is itself represented by theolivillo (Aextoxicon punctatum). It is a largeevergreen tree native to the forests of theValdivian temperate rain forests andMagellanic subpolar forests of the Pacific coast of southern Chile, where it forms is acanopy tree in thebroadleaf forests. It can reach 15 m tall.
TheAPG system (1998) and theAPG II system (2003) left the family Aextoxicaceae unplaced in thecore eudicots. It has since been included in the orderBerberidopsidales.[4] The genus was formerly often included in the familyEuphorbiaceae.
Aextoxicon punctatum is a large tree often found in thecanopy or emergent. It has opposite leaves with dark green coloration on the top and lighter green below, and is covered in rusty peltate scales. The flowers areactinomorphic and unisexual, in hangingracemes. The flowers have 5sepals and 5petals. Male flowers have 5stamens opposite the sepals while female flowers have twocarpels that fuse to form a bilocular ovary. Thefruit is a single seededdrupe that resembles an olive, thus giving the plant its common name.[5]
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Aextoxicon punctatum is found in Chile, usually in damp places from theBosque de Fray Jorge National Park southwards to theChiloé Archipelago, also in the Valdivian forest and Magellanic forests of the southern Pacific coast. In Argentina it is present in the middle reaches of theRio Negro valley, being invasive on the island ofChoele Choel,[dubious –discuss] and it is common in theLago Puelo National Park, Chubut.
The tree is used for its high-quality timber.[5]
