pilpil

Boquila trifoliolata is a woody vine with a highly variable appearance due to its crypsis abilities. The vines are evergreen or partly deciduous, meaning they largely retain their leaves over winter. The vines follow a twining pattern when climbing host plants, meaning the stems bend around host plants during their ascent. The branches are thin, less than 1 cm (0.39 in) in diameter, and are covered in red-brown bark. The lenticels are elliptical in shape, and the wider branches are a speckled grey color. When not mimicking a host plant, B. trifoliolata employs smaller 'charlatan leaves' that are short, stubby, and have three lobes (trifoliate). The petioles range from 2 cm (0.79 in) to 6 cm (2.4 in) in length and the petiolules range from 0.5 cm (0.20 in) to 1.5 cm (0.59 in) in length. Leaflets are oval or elliptical and range from 2 cm (0.79 in) to 6 cm (2.4 in) in height and 1 cm (0.39 in) to 3 cm (1.2 in) in width. The base of the leaves is rounded, the margins are irregular (most often trilobate), the tips are rounded and wide-angled, the top of the leaves are dark green and hairless, the undersides are glaucous (pale-grey to blue-green), and the veins have a pinnate pattern.

Reproduction. In its natural habitat, flowering occurs between September and December, while fruiting occurs between January and March. …

The Boquila genus is endemic to the temperate rainforests, Nothofagus forests, and evergreen forests of southern Argentina and Chile, ranging from Cauquenes to Chiloe. B. trifoliolata is most commonly found between 100 metres (330 ft) to 600 metres (2,000 ft) in elevation. Unlike many other species of vines, B. trifoliolata is not parasitic. Instead, it only attaches to trees for protection and structure, sometimes forming thickets over 6 metres (20 ft) in height. B. trifoliolata can survive temperatures as low as −8 °C (18 °F) and prefers soil rich in humus. The species is resistant to wilting, but generally prefers to grow in shaded environments.

The stems are used locally in basketry and in rope making. The leaf juice was historically employed by local tribes to treat sore eyes, and was once believed to be an aphrodisiac. The plant is used ornamentally, and the berries are edible. Stems are often cut in the summer and rooted in cold frames as a means of propagation.

Boquila is a monotypic genus of flowering plants (angiosperms) in the family Lardizabalaceae with one known species, Boquila trifoliolata. The species was first described as Dolichos funarius in 1782 by Juan Ignacio Molina, and in 1817, the holotype Lardizabala trifoliolata was named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. In 1838, Stephan Endlicher, Eduard Friedrich Poeppig, and Gustav Kunze proposed the name Lardizabala discolor. In between 1837 and 1839, Joseph Decaisne identified Boquila trifoliolata and Boquila discolor, and established the Boquila genus in 1837. The name Boquila discolor was later declared a orthographic variant. In 1936, Gualterio Looser attempted to reclassify the species to Lardizabala funaria based upon the observations of Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, but this classification is not considered valid. Because of its capability for mimicry, the species is sometimes called the chameleon vine.