Chilean Wineberry

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Chilean Wineberry
• Macqui
• wineberry

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Aristotelia macqui var. leucocarpa
• Beaumaria macqui
• Aristotelia glabra
• Aristotelia lucida
• Aristotelia macqui
• Aristotelia macqui var. alpestris
• Aristotelia macqui var. andina
• Cornus chilensis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Aristotelia chilensis, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is further classified within the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae under the order Oxalidales. Finally, it is a member of the family Elaeocarpaceae and the genus Aristotelia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is native to the diverse landscapes of Southern South America. Its distribution spans across multiple regions of Argentina, including the Northeast, South, and Northwest. Furthermore, it can be found throughout various parts of Chile, specifically in the Central and South regions. These various locations highlight the plant's ability to thrive in different ecological zones within the southern cone. Consequently, its presence is widely spread across both the Chilean and Argentine territories.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Aristotelia chilensis is characterized by its broad adaptability across diverse topographical gradients, allowing it to inhabit a wide vertical distribution within its native landscape. This species thrives across an extensive elevational range, beginning at sea level (0 m AMSL) and extending upward into high-altitude environments reaching a maximum of 1500 m AMSL. This wide altitudinal breadth suggests a high degree of ecological plasticity, enabling the plant to colonize various microclimates and soil conditions ranging from coastal lowlands to montane zones. Such a distribution indicates that the species can withstand varying thermal regimes and moisture availability associated with different elevations, playing a functional role in the stability of diverse ecosystems throughout its range.

Elevational range max:

1500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Aristotelia chilensis is characterized by its status as a perennial species, ensuring its long-term presence within its native ecosystem. In terms of its structural development and growth habit, the plant exhibits characteristics consistent with both phanerophyte and nanophanerophyte life forms, reflecting its ability to maintain woody stems that allow it to persist through varying environmental conditions.

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Aristotelia chilensis is characterized by a woody structure, primarily manifesting in growth forms that range from a shrub to a tree. This species is fundamentally terrestrial in its ecological habit, neither being aquatic nor an epiphyte, and it functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite. In terms of its structural support, it is categorized as self-supporting, lacking the climbing or liana-like tendencies found in vines or obligatory climbers.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

woody

Reproduction

The reproduction of Aristotelia chilensis is characterized by the production of fleshy fruits, a trait that typically facilitates seed dispersal through biotic vectors. The seeds contained within these fruits exhibit specific morphological and physical properties, maintaining a consistent seed volume of exactly 48 mm³, which serves as both the minimum and maximum recorded value. In terms of mass, the seeds show a degree of variability, ranging from a minimum of 0.01526 g to a maximum of 0.0766 g, with an overall average seed mass of 0.04593 g. This combination of a fleshy fruit structure and specific seed dimensions plays a critical role in the plant's reproductive success and its ability to colonize new environments.

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Seed mass max:

0.0766 g

Seed mass mean:

0.04593 g

Seed mass min:

0.01526 g

Seed volume max:

48 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Aristotelia chilensis has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf.

Fruit

1. Panminerva medica

Leaf

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Aristotelia chilensis has 7 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Anthocyanins, Aristoteline, Delphinidin, Flavonoids, Polyphenol.

Anthocyanins

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Aristoteline

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Delphinidin

1. Panminerva medica

Flavonoids

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Polyphenol

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

kaempferol glucoside

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

quercetin glucoside

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Activities

Aristotelia chilensis has 5 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antihemolytic, Antioxidant, Astringent, Tonic.

Antibacterial

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Antihemolytic

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Antioxidant

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Astringent

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Tonic

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Conditions

Aristotelia chilensis has 6 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include analgesic, atherosclerosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diarrhea.

Analgesic

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Atherosclerosis

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Cancer

1. Cancers

Cardiovascular disease

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Diarrhea

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Wounds

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Aristotelia chilensis has 1 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include juice of its berries.

Juice of its berries

1. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology