About Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii (Hook. & Arn.) Nied.
Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii grows as a plant reaching 15 meters in height, with a trunk approximately 50 centimeters in diameter. Its bark is smooth and reddish brown. It produces oval-shaped leaves, white flowers arranged in inflorescences, and round dark brown fruits with subtle reddish undertones that have a bitter taste. The name of Temuco, a city in southern Chile, is derived from this species; in the Mapuche language, the name means "Temu water" or "temu in the water", as "co" translates to water in Mapuche. This species is endemic to central and southern Chile, with its range extending from Aconcagua in Chile's Valparaíso Region in the north, down to Llanquihue in Los Lagos Region in the south. It grows in temperate forests, and also in relict coastal forests in the mediterranean-climate northern portion of its range. It can be found in humid, shady locations or on the banks of watercourses, in both the Chilean Coast Range and the Andes foothills, at elevations between 400 and 1,000 meters. It cannot tolerate regular snow exposure, but can survive occasional short frosts reaching approximately -5 °C.
