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Bulnesia retama

Accession Count: 4

Common Name: retamo

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Family Name: Zygophyllaceae

Botanical Name: Bulnesia retama

Synonyms:

Botanical Synonyms: Bulnesia macrocarpa, Zygophyllum retama

Sub Species:

Variety:

Forma:

Cultivar:

Characteristics: Bulnesia retama is an evergreen, perennial shrub that is aphyllous for most of the year. It can reach a height as great as 25 feet, and 3 feet in width (1). Stems are slender and covered with wax (2), with young plants bearing grey-green coloring, and unicellular hairs that are shed from mature stems (3). Branches are woody and pendant, occurring in clusters (1). The leaves are opposite, even-pinnately compound with reduced, short living leaflets; so that photosynthesis can be conducted by young twigs (2). Yellow, hermaphroditic flowers can be present in small groups or as solitary blooms, being dish-shaped, and with ten stamens (4, 2). Peduncles emerge from the same buds as the leaves (5). The flowers give away to schizocarpic fruits in 5-winged mericarps, each possessing one winged seed. In some cases, fruit may be seedless (4).

Compound: Bul ret

Geographic Origin: South America

Ecozone Origin: Neotropic

Biome Origin:

Natural History: Bulnesia retama has several botanical synonyms. It was first named Zygophyllum retama by Dr. John Gillies, who included it within Botanical Miscellany 3: 166 (1833) (6). Dr. Gillies additionally collected one of the earliest specimens of B. retamo, in 1867. It was collected in Argentina, from Mendoza to San Juan, at an altitude of 610 – 914 m (1,830-2,742 ft) (7). In 1871, the plant was named Bulnesia macrocarpa, by Rudolf Amandus Philippi, in Sert. Mendoc. Alt. 9. (1871) (8). Then, in 1874, the current accepted name was designated as Bulnesia retama, by August Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach (9). He published within Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen 19: 106. 1874. (Dec 1874) (9), placing the other names in synonymy. The genus Bulnesia is named for the Chilean politician Manuel Bulnes (1799 – 1866) (10).

Cultivation Notes: Bulnesia retama grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 9a to 11, desiring full sun or partial shade. Water regularly, but be careful not to overwater, as B. retamo is a xerophytic plant (11) that requires little water when established (12). Although the exact soil chemical properties that B. retama tolerates are unknown, shrubs have been found in association with soils having higher carbon and nitrate concentrations (13). Propagation can be done by seed, and self-pollination is possible. However, fertility is rare when selfing, and an inbreeding depression frequently occurs (2).

Ethnobotany: Bulnesia retama is used to make “retamo wax”, which can replace other waxes such as carnauba and candelilla (14). Retamo wax has been utilized to make shoe polish, leather dyes, printer’s ink, carbon paper, and pharmaceuticals; and is capable of treating wood, leather, and metals. The production and sales of retamo wax serve an additional purpose in Argentina’s economy (14). Natural populations of Bulnesia retama been diminished by the extensive pruning for wax production, as well as from wood extraction for vineyard posts (2). Mountaineers have used the boughs to thatch their huts, while B. retama also creates excellent quality charcoal (15). Additionally, a decoction of the bark, wood, roots, or leaves of B. retama can be treated to obtain a yellow food coloring, which can be used as a substitute for saffron (16). B. retama may also possess beneficial health properties, such as the ability to improve blood vessels (12). Perhaps from the leaves and twigs, which are often used in medicine (15).

Height: 6 - 10 feet

Width: 0 - 5 feet

Growth Rate: Moderate Growing

Grow Season:

Flower Season: Fall

Color: Yellow

Function: Habitat

Spread: Spreading

Allergen: Non-allergenic

Invasive: Benign

Toxicity: Benign

Hardy: Semi-hardy