kageneckia

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of South American rosaceous trees, of the tribe Quillajeæ, but differing from Quillaja, the type of tribe, in having the calyx-lobes imbricated instead of valvate in the bud and the leaves Serrate. They are evergreen trees with coarse leathery leaves and unisexual flowers, the male racemose or corymbose, the female solitary and terminal. The fruit is a large follicle. Three species only are known, growing in Chili and the mountains of Peru. K. oblonga yields wood valuable for building purposes, and very bitter leaves and seeds, which are used by the inhabitants as a remedy for fevers. It is cultivated as a greenhouse plant for its white flowers. K. cratægoides is a tall ornamental tree; it was introduced into England in 1831.