Chilean myrtle (Myrceugenia apiculata) is a fruit-bearing evergreen tree that grows throughout Chile and Argentina, including the Argentine provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, and Chubut, and in particular the forest areas of Quetrihué Peninsula and the northern part of Victoria Island.
Distinguished by a smooth reddish-orange bark with white spots and a dusty texture, the tree is called kelümamüll or orange wood in Mapuche language, and it bears white flowers that are followed by edible (red, deep purple, or black) berries with three seeds inside.
Apart from their essential role in the production of local honey, Chilean myrtle’s flowers are also commonly used in tortillas, while the tree’s fruits are either eaten fresh or processed into various specialties, including various refreshing beverages such as chicha.
Local people harvest the fruits from the wild only for personal consumption because the trees are not cultivated. The survival of Chilean myrtle and the traditional specialties prepared with it are currently threatened as the consumption of this plant is almost limited to the local population.
