CARLA MONSERRAT LOYOLA ARANCIBIA

The Pelu grows from the Maule River to the south

of the Palena River (seventh to eleventh region). It is very common on the coast.

 it is evergreen tree, up to ten meters high and ten

centimeters of diameter, bark smooth or irregularly cracked and straight trunk.

 Its branches is long and slender, the new branches,

ferruginous- pubescent. Leaves compound, odd-pinnate, with nine to thirteen new leaflets entire margins, dark green on the upper and glaucous on the underside. The leaves have five to fifteen centimeters long, and each leaflet, one to one centimeter and a half.

 Yellow flowers, papilionadas, pendants, gathered in

large compact clusters. Its peduncles are long and thick. The calyx is light brown, pubescent, composed of 5 sepals. The corolla is much longer than the calyx.

 Androecium has ten stamens.

The gynoecium has ovarian elongated and cylindrical.

The indehiscent fruit is a pod containing from one to

eight seeds spherical light brown.

 The wood is yellow; it is hard and resistant to

putrefaction. It is used to make shafts and parts of cart wheels, tool handles, and so on. Also deals with ornamental for its abundant flowering.

 Sophora, Arabic sophera = tree of the genus.

Pelu is indigenous name.