Data

• Azorella genus
• Text by: V. Aschero,K. Speziale and M. Ferreyra.
• Photo: D. Alarcón, M. Ferreyra

Description

The genus Azorella (Yareta, llareta; Apiaceae) comprises around 36 species distributed from high tropical Andes to subantarctic islands. Some species of this genus are cushion forms looking like "green clouds over the ground" in the Andean vegetation. It is known that Azorella compacta grows very slowly (~0.4 cm per year). Therefore, many individuals could be as old as 3000 years given their diameter. Yaretas have being appreciated along the Andes as fuel because they are like "subterraneous trees" but mostly because the resin exuded by plants is traditionally collected to treat illnesses, inflammation and pain. Azorella plants are incredible, they are extremely resistant to abiotic stress and they are one of the plant species reaching highest elevation in the world (5300 m.a.s.l.). At these high altitudes Azorella cushion plants moderate their closest environment acting as nurse plants that favour the persistence of other non-chushion species.