Peruvian pepper tree

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peruvian pepper tree
Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), branch with fruits

Peruvian pepper tree ( Schinus molle ), branch with fruits

Systematics
Eurosiden II
Order : Sapindales (Sapindales)
Family : Sumac family (Anacardiaceae)
Subfamily : Anacardioideae
Genre : Pepper trees ( Schinus )
Type : Peruvian pepper tree
Scientific name
Schinus molle
L.

The Peruvian pepper tree ( Schinus molle ) belongs to the sumac family (Anacardiaceae). The tree reaches a height of 15 meters when old. It has elegant, drooping branches and decorative pink fruits.

description

Peruvian pepper tree

The Peruvian pepper tree is an evergreen tree and reaches a height of 4 to 15 meters. The pinnate leaves sit alternately on the overhanging branches . They smell aromatic when you rub them in. The entire leaf is up to 25 cm long and is composed of 15 to 27 leaflets. The individual leaflets are linear-lanceolate, 1.5 to 2.7 cm long and 0.5 to 0.8 cm wide. The leaf spindle is narrowly winged.

The small, yellowish-white flowers are grouped in conical panicles . They develop into pink drupes with a diameter of 0.5 to 0.6 cm.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 28.

distribution

The Peruvian pepper tree comes from South and Central America, where it is native from Mexico in the north to Chile and Argentina in the south. It prefers semi-arid soils and is naturalized in the Mediterranean region ( Morocco ) as well as in the south of the USA, South Africa and Australia.

use

The fruits, which taste slightly like pepper, are, like those of the Brazilian pepper tree ( Schinus terebinthifolius ), in the trade as "pink pepper". The tree is occasionally planted as an ornamental wood. In South America, other uses are known: A slightly alcoholic drink ( chicha ) is made from the fruits , leaves and resin are used for medicinal purposes and occasionally a yellow dye is extracted from the tree.

The tree carries a gum resin , aroeire resin or American mastic , such as the Brazilian pepper tree ( Schinus terebinthifolia ).

Botanical history

The Peruvian pepper tree is already called "Molle" by Johann Bauhin , and by Caspar Bauhin it is called "Lentiscus Peruanus" - referring to the mastic bush ( Pistacia lentiscus ). The first description of Carl von Linné as Schinus molle comes from 1753. The specific epithet molle could be derived from a South American trivial name or come from Spanish ( mollear , "to be soft", referring to the chewed resin).

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Peter Schönfelder , Ingrid Schönfelder: The new cosmos Mediterranean flora . Kosmos Verlag Stuttgart, 2008, p. 414.
  2. a b Yasin J. Nasir: Schinus . In: SI Ali &, M. Qaiser (Eds.) Flora of Pakistan . efloras.org
  3. Schinus molle at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
  4. a b Helmut Genaust: Etymological dictionary of botanical plant names. 3rd, completely revised and expanded edition. Nikol, Hamburg 2005, ISBN 3-937872-16-7 , p. 389 (reprint from 1996).
  5. ^ Fritz L. Kramer: The Pepper Tree, Schinus molle L. In: Economic Botany . Vol. 11, No. 4, 1957, pp. 322-326.

Web links

Commons : Peruvian Pepper Tree ( Schinus molle )  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files