Nertera granadensis
Encyclopedia
Nertera granadensis is a ground cover with orange berries, of the genus Nertera
. Nertera granadensis has an unusually extensive transcontinental distribution surrounding the Pacific Ocean
, occurring from southern Chile
and western Argentina
north to Guatemala
, and in New Zealand
, eastern Australia
, Indonesia
, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea
, the Philippines
and Taiwan
. In the tropical regions of the western Pacific, Nertera granadensis only occurs at high altitudes. It does also occur on the Juan Fernández Islands
. It is grown as an ornamental plant
in gardens, and the name given to the plant in Mapudungun
and Chilean Spanish
is rucachucao. The name granadensis derives from New Granada
, the old name of Colombia
.
During the summer, Nertera granadensis can be kept outdoors, but it still needs to be protected from direct sunlight. The temperature should not be too warm, although it should not go below 8 degrees Celsius (around 45 Fahrenheit) in the winter. During the winter and autumn gardeners should wait until the soil dries between watering.
When the flowers and berries begin forming in the spring, one should increase watering so that during the spring and the summer the soil is kept moist at all times, and the leaves and berries should be moistened occasionally, but not too frequently, as they could rot. The plant should be fed monthly with a weak solution (water-soluble fertilizers, diluted to half strength, are best) during spring/summer until it begins to flower. When the berries begin to die (turn black) they should be carefully removed.
Nertera
Nertera is a genus of about 15 species of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae, native to the Southern Hemisphere, in South America and Australasia, with one species extending into the Northern Hemisphere in Central America and eastern Asia. The name derives from the Greek word nerteros,...
. Nertera granadensis has an unusually extensive transcontinental distribution surrounding the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, occurring from southern Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and western Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
north to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, and in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. In the tropical regions of the western Pacific, Nertera granadensis only occurs at high altitudes. It does also occur on the Juan Fernández Islands
Juan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first...
. It is grown as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in gardens, and the name given to the plant in Mapudungun
Mapudungun
The Mapuche language, Mapudungun is a language isolate spoken in south-central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche people. It is also spelled Mapuzugun and sometimes called Mapudungu or Araucanian...
and Chilean Spanish
Chilean Spanish
Chilean Spanish is the variety of Spanish spoken in most of Chile. Though still entirely mutually intelligible with standard Spanish, Chilean Spanish has distinctive pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and slang usage...
is rucachucao. The name granadensis derives from New Granada
New Granada
New Granada may refer to various former national denominations for the present-day country of Colombia.*New Kingdom of Granada, from 1538 to 1717*Viceroyalty of New Granada, from 1717 to 1810, re-established from 1816 to 1819...
, the old name of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
Care and maintenance
As a house plant, Nertera granadensis is somewhat difficult to maintain, and it is not recommended for beginners. The soil should be porous. It should be kept in a bright, semi-shaded place - a south facing window is ideal - and should not be left in direct sunlight.During the summer, Nertera granadensis can be kept outdoors, but it still needs to be protected from direct sunlight. The temperature should not be too warm, although it should not go below 8 degrees Celsius (around 45 Fahrenheit) in the winter. During the winter and autumn gardeners should wait until the soil dries between watering.
When the flowers and berries begin forming in the spring, one should increase watering so that during the spring and the summer the soil is kept moist at all times, and the leaves and berries should be moistened occasionally, but not too frequently, as they could rot. The plant should be fed monthly with a weak solution (water-soluble fertilizers, diluted to half strength, are best) during spring/summer until it begins to flower. When the berries begin to die (turn black) they should be carefully removed.