Tetraclinis articulata it is a species of perennial conifer with a shrubby habit that belongs to the Cupressaceae family. Known as araar, plow, African larch, Cartagena cypress, blackberry sabina, sandarac or articulated thuja, it is a native species of North Africa and southern Europe.
It is a small tree of low height, conical shape and dense crown, with articulated and compressed branches. The green whorled leaves have resinous glands, they are needle-like and sharp when young, flattened and triangular when they develop.
It is a monoecious species, the male cones are elongated and composed of numerous opposing pollen scales, the female ones of a globose shape covered by four scales. The fruit is a heart-shaped pineapple with a woody texture, inside which there are 2 to 4 winged seeds..
It is considered an emblematic species of the Murcia region, the only one of the genus Tetraclinis, scarcely distributed, vulnerable and in danger of extinction. Scratching has survived since the late Miocene and is one of the most important contributions of the Iberian Peninsula to European biodiversity.
In North Africa, where its population is more abundant, the wood of excellent quality is used for the elaboration of artisan carvings. The bark contains tannins that are used in tanning, also emits a resin that has medicinal properties and is used to make varnishes and glues.
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Medium-sized tree, erect growth trunk, longitudinally striated bark of grayish-brown or gray-ashy tones that measures between 8-15 m high and 25-40 cm in diameter. The erect branches of ascending growth are provided with articulated branches forming a dense crown of conical or irregular shape.
The squamiform leaves are formed by small triangular scales 2-5 mm long, arranged in pendulous and articulated twigs. The young leaves are fine and sharp needles, the adult ones arranged in four whorls, one pair opposite and flattened, the other pair keeled and narrower..
The male yellowish-brown ovoid strobili are covered by numerous pollen scales measuring 3-4 mm. The female 10-15 mm and blue-green tones, have four valves that are grouped in a single whorl that will become the fruit. Flowering occurs during fall and winter.
The woody-textured heart-shaped female strobili are provided with 4 scales with a dorsal groove, they ripen the following summer into a dehiscent fruit of 2 cm in diameter. Inside there are 2-4 seeds of 5-8 mm long by 1-2 mm wide, with double or triple wings that favor their dispersion..
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Pinophyta
- Class: Pinopsida
- Order: Pinales
- Family: Cupressaceae
- Gender: Tetraclinis
- Species: Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters
- Tetraclinis: in name of the genus it comes from the Greek "τετρά" which means four and "χλινη" which means bed, which translates into "four beds" or "four places". Alluding to the four valves that make up the pineapple.
- articulate: the specific adjective derives from the Latin "articles-i" which means "article or article", with the adjectival suffix "-atus, -a, -um" which indicates "similar". What is translated into "articulated or that has articulations", related to the articulated aspect of the twigs.
Its natural habitat is located in semi-arid, dry and sunny environments with a subtropical climate, forming open forests in association with wild olive trees, kermes oak, mastic, palm hearts, Aleppo pines and junipers. In the wild, it establishes a dispersed arboreal plant formation, where bushes, grasslands and bulbous grasslands predominate..
It develops on various types of soils, preferably of calcareous origin, shallow, loamy-clayey, well developed and permeable. It grows on sunny slopes, hills, slopes, ravines, gorges, boulevards, cliffs and rocky areas, from sea level to 1,200 meters above sea level..
Natural species of the western coast of the Mediterranean, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia in North Africa, Murcia in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, Malta and Cyprus. In Spain, wild populations are restricted to the eastern mountains of Cartagena in Murcia, particularly Calblanque, Escombreras, Fausilla, Monte de las Cenizas, Sabinar and Peña del Águila.
The resins obtained from its leaves and twigs contain certain secondary metabolites that provide medicinal and therapeutic properties. Scratching is used in herbal medicine to relieve diarrhea, menstrual pain and hemorrhoids, topically it is used to cure papillomas.
Its hard and resistant wood has been used since the times of the Greeks and Romans in cabinetmaking and carpentry in the manufacture of furniture and handmade carvings. The resin called "sandáraca", obtained from leaves, branches and bark was used to burn as incense in sacred rituals and to make varnishes, gums and perfumes.
At present it is used as a landscape resource to restore and repopulate xerophilous environments and easily ignited in warm times. It is a species that tolerates waterlogging, resists drought and occasional frosts, being cultivated in Mediterranean gardens and parks due to its size and particular characteristics..
The propagation of araar is carried out by means of seeds that can be stored for a long time due to their high germination power. The seeds are obtained from pineapples that have matured after one year and are disseminated during the months of September and October..
The seeds are 5-8 mm long by 1-2 mm wide, have a small persistent membrane 4-5 mm wide. They do not require pregerminative treatment, but the extraction of the seed is carried out by air drying, sieving and densimetric separation..
Sowing is done at the beginning of spring on germination beds or forest containers, using a fertile, moist and well-drained substrate. Germination begins 10-15 days after sowing, when they reach 10-15 cm in height they are ready to transplant.
Araar is a slow growing species that can be sown in the field at a planting frame of 4-6 m between seedlings. However, its root system is very weak, so it requires the utmost care during transplantation, since it tolerates the process poorly..
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