Embothrium is a genus of two to eight species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) in the plant family Proteaceae, native to southern South America, in Chile and adjacent western Argentina; the genus occurs as far south as Tierra del Fuego. Common names include Chilean firebush in English, and notro, ciruelillo, fosforito in Chilean Spanish.
They are large shrubs or trees growing to 10–20 m tall with a trunk up to 70 cm diameter. E. coccineum and perhaps others, is also highly prone to suckering and unmanaged plants often form dense groves of many suckering shoots. The leaves are evergreen, occasionally deciduous in cold areas, 5–12 cm long and 2–4 cm broad. The flowers are produced in dense bunches, brilliant red (rarely white or yellow), tubular, 2.5-4.5 cm long, split into four lobes near the apex which reflex to expose the stamens and style.
One or possibly two extant species are recognised. Two further species, ?E. precoccineum and ?E. pregrandiflorum, have been described from the Ventana Formation (Middle Eocene) from Patagonia, although their placement in Embothrium is uncertain as they are insufficiently known.[1]
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