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Maytenus boaria

Common name:	Mayten Tree	Family:	Celastraceae
Author:	Molina.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Maytenus chilensis (DC.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. America - Argentina and Chile.
Habitat:	Pasturelands, avoiding the competition for light from other trees[11].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Celastrus maytenus[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Nd [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	boaria = of cattle
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Celastrales. Bittersweet family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Chile

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 10m by 8m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Oil.

An edible oil is obtained from the seed. Used for cooking[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils in a sunny position[182] and also in semi-shade[188]. The soil should be well-drained but must not be allowed to dry out[200]. Requires a position sheltered from strong cold winds[188].
Tolerates temperatures down to about to about -10° c[200]. This species has a very wide natural range, so far all the introductions have come from Chile but provenances in Argentina might provide even hardier trees that could succeed in colder areas of the country[11]. Plants succeed outdoors in S. England and have produced self-sown seedlings at Lanarth in &ndndndnd[11]. Large mature trees are growing in woodland conditions at Hilliers Arboretum in Hampshire[K].
The flowers are usually either male or female, though both sexes are found on the same plant[219]. Occasional hermaphrodite flowers are produced[219].
Cattle are very strongly attracted to the leaves of this plant and will not touch other forage when this species is available[11].
A slow growing tree[200].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[200].
Division of suckers in the autumn or spring[188].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Celastraceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
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This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Maytenus+boaria
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