Eucryphiaceae

 

The genus Eucryphia is nowadays assigned to its own Family – having, at various times, been placed in the Cunoniaceae by several authorities.

 

The genus contains (currently) seven species – five of which are native to Australia with two in South America. Five species have a provenance suitable for allowing cultivation in the UK – two species from the temperate rainforests of the southern Andes – E. cordifolia and E. glutinosa; two species from Tasmania - E. lucida and E. milliganii and one from South East Australia - E. moorei.

 

All the species are evergreen with simple leaves except E. glutinosa which can be semi-evergreen to deciduous on its climatic fringes and has pinnate leaves - as does E. moorei.

 

They vary from small shrubs with small leaves to large shrubs or trees – E. cordifolia can develop into a columnar tree to forty feet in cultivation. They are generally late flowering with white (sometimes pink) flat to bowl shaped, hermaphrodite flowers – in some species – in E. glutinosa the flowers are up to 6cm across and are produced prolifically to give a spectacular display.

 

The fruit is a dry, valved, dehiscent capsule which dries out in autumn to liberate the small brown winged seeds – often a fair proportion of non-viable seed. The seed has a substantial endosperm with a well defined embryo. There are no constraints to germination which will occur prolifically at 20˚C.