About Persea lingue (Ruiz & Pav.) Nees
Persea lingue is an evergreen tree that reaches up to 25 meters in height. It is native to central and southern Chile, as well as southern Argentina. It grows in coastal and mountain forests, ranging from sea level up to 2000 meters in elevation. In pharmacy, its bark was once documented under the name cortex Lauri lingue, and its medicinal action remains unknown. From the late 19th to the early 20th century, the bark of this tree, which is rich in tannins, was used to produce leather. A leather industry based in Valdivia, led by German immigrants and German-Chileans, harvested the tree and exported the finished leather to Hamburg and Le Havre. The decline of wild Persea lingue stands, combined with tariffs imposed by the German Empire in 1898, contributed to the decline of this leather industry in southern Chile.
