Luma is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, described as a genus in 1853.[1] [2] It is native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests of Chile and Argentina.[3]
They are shrubs or small trees with evergreen foliage and smooth red or orange bark, typically reaching 10- tall and up to 10NaN0 in trunk diameter. The leaves are opposite, oval, 1–5 cm long and 0.5–3 cm broad, entire, glossy dark green, with a spicy scent if crushed. The flowers are 2 cm diameter with four white petals and numerous stamens; the fruit is a small purple or black berry 1 cm diameter.
The genus name derives from the Mapuche (Native American) name for a related species, Amomyrtus luma. Though it grows slowly, luma wood is very dense and durable.
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luma apiculata (DC.) Burret, Notizbl. | Chilean myrtle, known in Spanish as Arrayán or Temu | S Chile, S Argentina; naturalized in Alpine County in California | |
| Luma chequen (Molina) A.Gray | Chequén or Huillipeta | Central Chile; naturalized in Peru and Bolivia | |