Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Greek strawberry tree

(Arbutus andrachne)

galery
en

Description

Arbutus andrachne, commonly called the Greek strawberry tree, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. The etymology of the species name corresponds to the Ancient Greek word (andrákhnē), meaning "wild strawberry",and refers to the common name of the tree and to its fruits. Arbutus andrachne can reach a height of about 12 metres. The smooth bark is exfoliating during the summer, leaving a layer with a pistachio green colour, which changes gradually to a beautiful orange brown. The flowers bloom in spring and are white or yellowish green. Its fruits ripen in autumn, and when left to dry in a cool place, are eaten as sweet, chewy candy. According to a research study done by Alzoubi, the A. andrachne fruit's antioxidants contain a variety of chemicals that have a defensive effect against memory impairment where the antioxidants normalize the long- and short-term memory impairment caused from sleep deprivation.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order:Ericales
Family:Ericaceae
Genus:Arbutus
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