Eucryphia

They are mostly evergreen though one species (E. glutinosa) is usually deciduous. The leaves are opposite, and either simple or pinnate with 3–13 leaflets. The flowers are produced in late summer or autumn, are showy and sweetly scented, diameter, with four creamy-white petals, and numerous stamens and styles. The fruit is a woody capsule long containing several seeds, and maturing in 12–15 months. == Etymology ==

The generic name Eucryphia is composed of two parts, namely eu- and -cryphia. The Greek ευ-κρυφαιος means well-covered and refers to the foliage, which is clustered towards the apex of branches. ==Species==

Extant species • Eucryphia cordifolia Cav. – Valdivian temperate rain forests of southern Chile and Argentina. A tree growing up to tall; leaves simple, crenate to serrated, evergreen, long. Its wood is used for construction, furniture and lumber, and its nectar for honey. • Eucryphia glutinosa (Poepp. & Endl.) Baill. – Valdivian temperate rain forests of southern Chile. A large shrub to tall; leaves pinnate, with 3–5 leaflets, serrated, deciduous or semi-evergreen, long. • Eucryphia jinksii P.I.Forst. – subtropical New South Wales and Queensland mountain rainforests endemic, Australia. A tree to tall; leaves simple or with 3 leaflets, entire, evergreen, 5–10 cm long (discovered 1994). • Eucryphia × nymansensis J.Bausch - natural hybrid of E. cordifolia and E. glutinosa native to Chile == Artificial hybrids and cultivars ==

(those marked have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit) • E. × intermedia (E. glutinosa × E. lucida) • E. × intermedia 'Rostrevor' • E. × hillieri (E. moorei × E. lucida): Developed from a self-sown seedling at the nursery of Hillier & Sons, Chandlers Ford in Hampshire around 1953. • E. × nymansensis (E. cordifolia × E. glutinosa) • E. × nymansensis 'Nymansay' originated from Lt. Col. Leonard C.R. Messel's garden at Nymans, Sussex (1913) • E. × nymansensis 'Nymans Silver' is a sport discovered at Nymans, Sussex in 2005. It is a variegated form with serrated oval leaves that are outlined in creamy white. It was discovered growing on a E. × nymansensis within the garden. It is considered to be faster growing and more columnar in nature. The name 'Nymans Silver' was proposed by Philip Holmes, Deputy Head Gardener at Nymans.' • E. 'Penwith' (E. cordifolia × E. lucida) • E. × hybrida (E. glutinosa × E. lucida) ==Uses==

The species and their hybrids are attractive small trees for gardens, typically with a slender conic crown when young, though widening with age. They are valued for their conspicuous scented flowers, produced in late summer and autumn when few or no other trees are in flower. Cultivation is restricted to areas with mild winters, cool summers and good rainfall; away from their native areas, this restricts them to the Atlantic coastal regions of Europe, the Pacific Northwest of North America, and New Zealand. Honey The nectar of two of the species provides an important sources of honey. Eucryphia lucida from Tasmania is the main source of a very distinctively flavoured honey known as Leatherwood (the common name for the species). Some of this honey may come from the other Tasmanian species, E. milliganii. In Chile, Ulmo honey (again after the local species name) comes from E. cordifolia. Leatherwood honey and Ulmo honey are very similar in flavour, even though the two species have probably been separated for more than 45 million years. ==References==