WEINMANNIA TOMENTOSA: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, USES - BIOLOGY - 2024

The species Weinmannia tomentosa commonly known as encenillo is a woody plant of medium size belonging to the Cunoniaceae family. Native to the Andes region, it is distributed between Colombia and Venezuela at altitude levels between 2,500 and 3,800 meters above sea level.

It is characterized by its arboreal appearance with smooth and greyish bark, as well as sinuous branches with slightly pubescent green odd-pinnate leaves. The flowers of 4-5 sepals and whitish petals are grouped in a terminal spike, its fruit being a woody capsule with tiny brown seeds.

Weinmannia tomentosa. Source: Toldoesunaescueladesumapaz

Known as encenillo, cascaro or pelotillo, it is a species that adapts to broken topographies of deep, organic and well-drained soils. It is a frost-tolerant plant, requires an average temperature of 6-18 ºC and 500-4,000 mm of annual precipitation.

- Species: Weinmannia tomentosa L. fil. 1782

Etymology

- Weinmannia: the name of the genus was designated in honor of the German apothecary and botanist, Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683-1741), creator of the «florilegium phytanthoza iconographia».

- tomentosa: the specific adjective derives from the Latin term «tomentosus-a-um» which means «with tomentos», alluding to the dense hairiness of branches and leaves.

Synonymy

- Windmannia tomentosa (L. fil.) Kuntze 1891.

Leaves and shoots of Weinmannia tomentosa. Source: Franz Xaver

Habitat and distribution

The Weinmannia tomentosa species develops on slopes or at the bottom of fertile, deep, sandy and well-drained soils, occasionally stony. It adapts to environmental conditions of low relative humidity, however, its maximum development is achieved around centers of cloud condensation.

It is a native tree of the mountainous forests and climbs of the Andes mountain range in Colombia and Venezuela, at 2,500-3,800 meters above sea level. In Colombia it is located in the Eastern Cordillera, in the departments of Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Norte de Santander and Santander, while in Venezuela in the states of Mérida, Táchira and Zulia.

The encenillo is one of the main species that makes up cloud forests, serving as cover and protection for different animal and plant species.

In fact, it is considered one of the main pre-climatic inducers of this particular climate together with species such as Macleania rupestris, Miconia spp., Myrsine guianensis and Pentacalia sp.

Climate and vegetation studies have made it possible to determine that the species W. tomentosa corresponds to the natural climactic vegetation of the eastern region of the Sabana de Bogotá. Likewise, it is associated with species such as Calamagrostis effusa, Chusquea tesellata and Espeletia sp., In areas of agricultural use, paramos or intervened forests in the Cundinamarca region.

The encenillo was one of the dominant species of the humid Andean mountain forests, until the agricultural intervention of the Andes during the colonial era. Species with similar morphological characteristics include Weinmannia auriculifera, Weinmannia bogotensis, Weinmannia karsteniana, Weinmannia myrtifolia and Weinmannia rollotii.

Encenillo. Source: Restrepiopsis

Applications

Industrial

- The tannins present in the bark are used in tannery or tannery to dye the skin of animals red. Similarly, a dark dye is obtained from the bark that is used to dye wool black.

- Wood is highly valued at the industrial level to make beams or boards for construction, as well as fence posts.

- The firewood is used to obtain a high caloric charcoal, which is used in rural areas to cook the traditional "Andean arepas".

- The pulp is used in the artisan paper industry.

Melliferous

- During the flowering season, the firebirds are covered profusely with inflorescences that attract a great biodiversity of pollinating species, such as bees, dipterans or hummingbirds.

Agroforestry

- Ideal species to establish living fences and implement as windbreaks.

- Protects the margins of springs, streams, rivers or streams from erosive problems caused by wind, landslides or rainfall.

Medicinal

- The extract of the bark and leaves is used traditionally as a treatment to relieve fever in cattle.

Ornamental

- In some Andean localities, encenillo trees are planted in parks or squares as an ornamental plant due to their rusticity and attractive appearance when flowering.

References

1. Encinillo - Weinmannia tomentosa (2019) Reforestation Guide. The Seedbed. Recovered in: elsemillero.net
2. Montes Pulido, CR (2011). State of knowledge on Weinmannia tomentosa Lf (encenillo) and some study proposals on its regeneration. Journal of Agrarian and Environmental Research (RIAA), 2 (1), 45-53.
3. Morales, JF (2010). Synopsis of the genus Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae) in Mexico and Central America. In Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid (Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 137-155). Superior Council of Scientific Investigations.
4. Villareal Sepúlveda. M. del P. & Peña Jaramillo, JF (2012) Weinmannia tomentosa. University of Antioquia, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences.
5. Weinmannia tomentosa L. fil. (2019) Catalog of Life: 2019 Annual Checklist. Recovered at: catalogueoflife.org
6. Weinmannia tomentosa - Encenillo (2019) Palm Seeds. Recovered at: rarepalmseeds.com