Weinmannia tomentosa


Weinmannia tomentosa, the encenillo, is a tree native of the highlands of the Andean region of Colombia, which belongs to the family Cunoniaceae. A synonym for Weinmannia tomentosa is Windmannia tomentosa.

Description

It is a large tree, with small light green leaves, with white backside, and raquis with small wings of rhomboidal shape. alternated palmatilobulated leaves. The terminal branches are divided with thick nodes with similar shape to the human metacarpus. The flowers are small spicas creamy-white colored. Common names: encenillo, cáscaro, pelotillo.

Environmental position

Encenillo is one of the best adapted trees of the sub-páramo, growing between 2500–3300 meters of altitude. It is often associated with Dendropanax colombianus, Miconia spp., Macleania rupestris, Cavendishia cordifolia, Myrsine spp. and Clusia multiflora. Before the colonial period, encenillo tree was one of the dominant species in the andean forests.

Some similar species are: Bogotan encenillo, wide-leaved encenillo, thick-leaved encenillo, round-leaved encenillo and mirth encenillo.

Uses

The encenillo tree is used as source of tanning substances for the leather industry, giving to the leather a beautiful reddish color. The wood is very appreciated in the timber industry and is used for cooking in the traditional preparation of the cheese arepas.