Common Name:

General Information

Azorella compacta is a cushion-forming, perennial woody herb growing from a taproot. It forms a light green, hard, dense cushion of growth up to 115cm tall and 400cm wide, though much larger plants are reputed to have existed in the past[].
The plant is an important local medicine and source of fuel, though overexploitation has greatly reduced its frequency. In some areas its harvest is prohibited.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western S. America - Andean mountains of southern Peru, northeast Chile, Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.

Habitat

Semi-arid land, growing near boulders at elevations from 3,800 - 5,200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Azorella compacta is found at high elevations in arid and semi-arid regions of the Andes. It can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations, with daytime temperatures sometimes in excess of 25°c whilst nightime temperatures can fall considerably below 0°c.
Requires a position in full sun in a well-drained gritty soil[].
Plants are very slow-growing, but long-lived[]. Estimates in age for a plant 1.15 metres tall range from 850 - 3,000 years[].
Very free-branching, the plants form a spreading crown of rosettes which eventually forms a compact cushion that gradually increases in size. The interior of the plant contains a considerable mass of crumbling, damp, dead tissues - the remains of branches that were engulfed or crowded out by others[].
Flowering is variable, but usually occurs all year round, being concentrated in one section of the plant at any one time[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is commonly used in traditional medicine and also has a considerable potential for use in conventional medicine. It is used traditionally to treat conditions such as colds and pains, and has also been recorded as an effective hypoglycaemic - an infusion of 25g of the plant in 0.25 litres of water being an effective dose to reduce blood sugar levels[]. An infusion of the fresh flowering plant has been used to relieve altitude sickness and has potential dermatological applications[].

A draught, syrup or tea made from the boiled roots is used in the treatment of diabetes, asthma, colds, bronchitis, kidney and womb complaints[].

The turpentine resin is astringent and absorbent. It is used in the treatment of colds and pains[].
The heated resin is applied to ease a toothaches and is used as a dressing to relieve backaches[].

Other Uses

A resin obtained from the plant is used as an absorbent for medicines[].

The ash from the wood is used as a fertilizer[].

Although a small, slow-growing plant, the wood it produces is a very good fuel, especially in a region rather short of woody plants. It used to be a major source of fuel within its native range, where it was harvested on a commercial basis for sale to railways, copper mines etc. It is still used on a domestic basis for cooking and heating[]. The plant needs to be dried for 4 - 5 months after harvest before being used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - it can be difficult to germinate. A regime of 12 hours light at 23°c followed by 12 hours dark at 9°c produced 30% germination after 2 months[]. Cold stratification did not improve germination rates[].
Seed production can be very poor - in one examination less than 1% of all the seeds produced were actually viable[].
Division.