Arbutus unedo
Arbutus unedo | |
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Arbutus berries | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Genus: | Arbutus |
Species: | A. unedo
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Binomial name | |
Arbutus unedo L. 1753
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Distribution map. Explanation:
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Synonyms | |
Synonymy
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Arbutus unedo, commonly known as strawberry tree, or chorleywood in the United Kingdom, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Western Europe. The tree is well known for its fruits, the arbutus berry, which bear some resemblance to the strawberry, hence the common name strawberry tree.[2][3][4] However, it is not closely related to true strawberries of the genus Fragaria.
Its presence in Ireland also lends it the name "Irish strawberry tree", or cain, or cane apple (from the Irish name for the tree, caithne
Taxonomy
Arbutus unedo was one of the many species described by Carl Linnaeus in Volume One of his landmark 1753 work Species Plantarum, giving it the name it still bears today.[7]
A study published in 2001 which analyzed
Arbutus unedo and A. andrachne hybridise naturally where their ranges overlap; the hybrid has been named Arbutus × andrachnoides (syn. A. × hybrida, or A. andrachne × unedo),[9] inheriting traits of both parent species, though fruits are not usually borne freely, and as a hybrid is unlikely to breed true from seed. It is sold in California as Arbutus x Marina named for a district in San Francisco where it was hybridized.[citation needed]
Description
Arbutus unedo grows to 4–7 m (13–23 ft) tall,[10] rarely up to 15 m (50 ft), with a trunk diameter of up to 80 cm (31 in).[citation needed] It grows in hardiness zones 7–10.[citation needed]
The leaves are green and glossy on the upper side, dull on the underside, 8–10 cm (3–4 in) long and 3–4 cm (1–1+1⁄2 in) broad,
The
Twigs are reddish-brown and abundantly foliose, and often have small hairs.[10]
The fruit is a red berry, 7–20 mm (1⁄4–13⁄16 in) diameter,
The name unedo is attributed to Pliny the Elder, who allegedly claimed that "unum tantum edo", meaning "I eat only one".[12] It is not known whether he meant that the fruit was so good he could eat only one, or whether he meant that the fruit was uninteresting so he ate only one.[13]
Distribution
Arbutus unedo is widespread in the Mediterranean region: in Portugal, Spain and southeastern France; southward in Algeria, Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia, and eastward in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It is also found in western France, Albania, Bulgaria and southwestern Ireland.[14]
Its
Cultivation
Arbutus unedo is quite an easy plant to cultivate, and is adaptable to many climates. Once established it is fairly drought resistant, frost resistant, shade tolerant and salt tolerant.[15]
Lower production of fruit mass has however been reported in case of summer droughts, and frosts in flowering time were seen to decrease the numbers of fruits.[16]
Arbutus unedo is naturally adapted to dry summer climates, and has become a very popular ornamental plant in California and the rest of the west coast of North America. It can grow easily in
It also grows well in the cool, wet summers of western Ireland and England, and temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Pests include
]Unlike most of the Ericaceae, A. unedo grows well in basic (limy) pH soils, even though it does better in more acidic soils.
The fruit production is not very high and is highly variable on the weather, and that may be part of the reason this plant is not frequently cultivated. The average yield in a two years study is around 46
Arbutus unedo has been seen to form a
In cultivation in the UK, the form A. unedo f. rubra[22] and the cultivar 'Atlantic'[23] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit
Propagation
Propagation can be done via seed,[24] layering, or cutting.
The seed should undergo a one-month cold stratification period,[25] then soaked for 5 to 6 days in warm water to improve germination success. Seedlings are prone to damp, and should be cared for in the first year.
Germination rate is low, rarely over 20%.[26]
Layering can take up to two years, but has a good success rate, while cutting is done with a 15–20 cm (6–8 in) long mature wood, preferably with a heel in November to December. The success rate however is not very high.[27]
Uses
Culinary uses
Arbutus berries have a high content of
They are edible fresh, but that is an uncommon consumption, especially because the mature fruit tends to bruise very easily, making transportation difficult.They are used mostly for jam, marmalades, yogurt and
The flowers are pollinated by
Herbal medicine
Arbutus unedo's leaves have been employed in traditional and
The leaves are reported to have a high concentration of flavonol antioxidants, especially quercetin, best extracted with a decoction, and together with the fruits are a source of antioxidants.[35][36]
The nectar contains the isoprenoid unedone (2-(1,2-dihydroxypropyl)-4,4,8-trimethyl-1-oxaspiro[2.5]oct-7-en-6-one) which is biologically active against a common and debilitating parasite of bumble bees, Crithidia bombi, so could provide a naturally occurring way for bees to withstand the burden of disease which has been reported to be a contributing factor in pollinator declines. The compound is glycosylated to an inactive form unedone-8-O-glycoside once consumed by the bee (perhaps to reduce any toxic effects against the bee herself) then transformed back to the active aglycone by the bee's microbiome in the hindgut where the parasite is most prevalent and damaging - suggesting that the microbiome assists in the anti-parasitic process.[37]
Ecological design
In
- The flowersare a significant source of nectar and pollen for bees, while the fruits are food for the birds.
- Its salt tolerance, coupled with it being an evergreen, make it a good choice for wind barriers in lands close to the sea.
- A. unedo is fire resistant (can regrow after a fire), and being a pioneer plant can contribute to the discontinuity of fire-prone pines and eucalyptus monocultures;[38] for the same reasons it is a good candidate for reforestation in Mediterranean areas.[39]
- The dense foliage throughout the year can be a shelter for insects and small animals during the winter.
- Its extensive root system can help in the soil stabilization process.[40]
Other uses
- The wood is quite hard and well suited for a various uses such as fire wood and to make pipes. Since it does not usually grow straight, it is not well suited for construction or similar uses.
- The tree is also grown as an ornamental plant, because of its nice-looking and -smelling flowers and fruit and their interesting presence on the plant at the same time, and because it is an evergreen. It is used as a single or multi-trunked in gardens and public landscapes.
History
Its Mediterranean habitat, elegant details of leaf and habit and dramatic show of fruit with flowers made Arbutus unedo notable in
The first evidence of its importation into northern European gardens was to 16th-century England from Ireland. In 1586 a correspondent in Ireland sent plants to the Elizabethan courtiers
In the United States, Thomas Jefferson lists the plant in his Monticello gardens in 1778.[42]
The form A. unedo f. rubra[43] and the hybrid A. × andrachnoides,[44] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Symbolic uses
Ancient history
The tree is mentioned by Roman poet Ovid, in Book I: 89–112 "The Golden Age" of his Metamorphoses: "Contented with food that grew without cultivation, they collected mountain strawberries and the fruit of the strawberry tree, wild cherries, blackberries clinging to the tough brambles, and acorns fallen from Jupiter's spreading oak-tree."[45]
The name of the Italian promontory
Spain
The Garden of Earthly Delights, a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, was originally listed by José de Sigüenza, in the inventory of the Spanish Crown as La Pintura del Madroño – "The Painting of the Strawberry Tree".[48]
The tree makes up part of the Coat of arms of Madrid (El oso y el madroño, The Bear and the Strawberry Tree) of the city of Madrid, Spain. In the center of the city (Puerta del Sol) there is a statue of a bear eating the fruit of the Madroño tree. The image appears on city crests, taxi cabs, man-hole covers, and other city infrastructure. The fruit of the Madroño tree ferments on the tree if left to ripen, so some of the bears become drunk from eating the fruits.[citation needed]
Italy
The strawberry tree (
For this reason the poet Giovanni Pascoli dedicated a poem to the strawberry tree. He refers to the Aeneid passage in which Pallas, killed by Turnus, was posed on branches of a strawberry tree. He saw in the colours of that plant a prefiguration of the flag of Italy and considered Pallas the first national cause martyr.[50] Pascoli's ode says:
(in Italian)
O verde albero italico, il tuo maggio
è nella bruma: s'anche tutto muora,
tu il giovanile gonfalon selvaggio
spieghi alla bora— Giovanni Pascoli
Oh green Italian tree, your May month
is in the mist: if everything die,
you, the youthful wild banner
unfold to the northern wind
See also
References
- . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Rydelek, Jared (2014). "Fruits & Vegetables: Strawberry Tree Fruit". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Arbutus unedo | strawberry tree". RHS Gardening. The Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Arbutus unedo". Plant Finder. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "cane apple". Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
- ^ a b "Il corbezzolo simbolo dell'Unità d'Italia. Una specie che resiste agli incendi". Altovastese (in Italian). 3 October 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1753). Species Plantarum (in Latin). Vol. Tomus I. Holmiae (Stockholm), Sweden: Laurentii Salvii. p. 395.
caule erecto, foliis glabris serratis, baccis polyspermis
- S2CID 44225779. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2020.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link - ISSN 1842-4309.
- ^ a b c d e f "A. unedo" (PDF). Flora Iberica. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ISSN 0015-752X.
Many frugivorous birds and several mammals feed on its fleshy fruits
- ^ Gaius Plinius Secundus. (in Latin). Liber XV. XXVIII, 99 – via Wikisource.
Pliny The Elder. . Vol. XV. XXVIII, 99 – via Wikisource. - ^ "Strawberry Tree Curse". Eat The Weeds and other things, too. 31 August 2011.
- ^ "Arbutus unedo". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Richins Myers, Vanessa. "Strawberry tree-Arbutus unedo". The Spruce. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
As long as you have made sure that it has regular watering for the first year so that the tree can form a strong root, it will be drought resistant. It can also grow in salty areas.
- ISSN 0015-752X.
The number of fruits per branch appeared to be affected by frost risk at flowering time. [...] The number of fruits per branch appeared to be affected by frost risk at flowering time.
- ^ "Arbutus unedo - L." Plants For a Future. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ISSN 0015-752X.
- .
- .
- S2CID 20470083.
- ^ "Arbutus unedo f. rubra". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Arbutus unedo 'Atlantic'". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ISSN 0018-5345.
- PMID 28480410.
in all three provenances seed germinability was significantly improved by a one-month period of CS or treatment
- ^ Hammami, I.; Jellal, M.; Ksontini, M.; Rejeb, M.N. (2005). "Propagation of the Strawberry Tree Through Seed (Arbutus unedo)". International Journal of Agriculture & Biology. 7: 457–459. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
In the case of A. unedo, most prior studies found very low germination percentages, varying between 0 and 5 % (Smiris et al. 2006: 0 %; Demirsoy et al. 2010:1–3 %; Tilki 2004: 4 %; Ertekın and Kırdar 2010: 5 %). Hammami et al. (2005), however, obtained a considerably better result (19 %).
- ^ "Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree". Plants For a Future.
- S2CID 233932055.
- ^ .
Arbutus berry appears to be a good source of vitamins, namely niacin, ascorbic acid and β -carotene (content of 9.1, 346.3 and 70.9 mg/100 g, respectively), organic acids (nearly 9%), total sugars (c. 42%) and tannins (1.75 mg g−1).
- .
The analysed fruits contain very useful bioactive phytochemicals such as phenolics, vitamins (ascorbic acid and tocopherols) and carotenoids [..] The combination of bioactive compounds and rich nutritional composition (high contents in carbohydrates, low contents in fat with the precious contribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids, precursors of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) of the studied wild fruits make them a very special food.
- ^ S2CID 30114836.
- PMID 19919097.
- PMID 18473914.
- ^ Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases: Ethnobotanical uses of Arbutus unedo.
- S2CID 403426.
- PMID 21703325.
- PMID 35491601.
- ^ Maria Filomena Figueiredo Nazaré Gomes (2011). Strategies for the improvement of Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree): in vitro propagation, mycorrhization and diversity analysis. Departamento de Ciências da Vida Universidade de Coimbra. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
A. unedo may contribute to the discontinuity of the forest biomass due to monocultures of pines and eucalyptus, particularly in the centre and north regions of Portugal, a situation responsible for the high number of fires and high fire intensity that all summers occur in these areas of the country
- ^ Maria Filomena Figueiredo Nazaré Gomes (2011). Strategies for the improvement of Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree): in vitro propagation, mycorrhization and diversity analysis. Departamento de Ciências da Vida Universidade de Coimbra. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
The species is drought tolerant and able to regenerate following forestry fires making it quite interesting for forestation programs in Mediterranean regions.
- ^ Maria Filomena Figueiredo Nazaré Gomes (2011). Strategies for the improvement of Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree): in vitro propagation, mycorrhization and diversity analysis (PDF). Departamento de Ciências da Vida Universidade de Coimbra. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
[A. unedo] contributes to maintain biodiversity, helps to stabilize soils and survives well in marginal lands
- ^ a b c Quoted in Alice M. Coats, Garden Shrubs and Their Histories (1964) 1992, s.v. "Arbutus".
- ^ Ann Leighton, American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century: 'For Use or Delight' , 1976:395.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Arbutus unedo f. rubra". Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Arbutus x andrachnoides". Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ^ Ovid. The Metamorphoses. Vol. Book I. Translated by A. S. Kline. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
{{cite book}}
:|website=
ignored (help) - ISBN 9788820623128
- ISBN 8882652661.
- ^ Warner, Marion. Fantastic metamorphoses, other worlds: ways of telling the self. Oxford University Press, 2002. 70.
- ^ (in Italian) various authors - Guida pratica agli alberi e arbusti in Italia; Biblioteca per chi ama la natura - Selezione dal Reader's Digest Milano 1983, 1991.
- ^ Giovanni Pascoli, in the autograph note to his poem "Il corbezzolo" ("The strawberry tree"), compared the virgilian, deposed after death on branches of a strawberry tree, to the Italian martyrs wrapped up, during the burial ceremonies, in the Italian flag.
External links
- Arbutus unedo — Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
- House Shadow Drake's page about uses of this tree in Welsh and Irish witchcraft