Philesia magellanica
In its own language: Coicopihue
A pink-flowered southern shrub, the single species of its genus
Philesia magellanica is the only species in the genus Philesia, a shrub of southern Chile and southern Argentina. Unusually for a monocot it grows as a suckering shrub, spreading by stolons, with narrow glossy leaves and six-tepaled flowers that are mostly pink.
- Grows wild in southern Chile and southern Argentina
- Its flowers have three short outer tepals and three long inner ones
- Most flowers are pink; darker purple forms have also been recorded
- A monocot that grows as a suckering shrub up to 1.2 metres tall
- The genus Philesia was first described in 1789
What does Philesia magellanica look like?
The plant is a shrub that reaches about 1.2 metres, or just under four feet, and spreads sideways by stolons, which are stems that run along or just under the ground and send up new shoots. Its leaves are narrow and grass-like, 15 to 35 mm long and 3 to 8 mm wide, glossy green on top, and marked underneath by two white bands of stomata, the pores through which a leaf breathes. The flowers carry six tepals, the name for petals and sepals that look alike. The three outer ones are short, 15 to 22 mm, and the three inner ones are long, 45 to 65 mm. Most flowers are pink; darker, more purple forms have been recorded.
Where does Philesia magellanica come from?
The genus belongs to Philesiaceae, a family of monocots, and was first described in 1789. Only one species is known, Philesia magellanica. It grows wild in the far south of South America: in Chile it runs from the Los Ríos region down to Magallanes, and it is also found in southern Argentina. In its home country it goes by the name Coicopihue. Because the genus holds a single species there is nothing else to confuse it with, and no named varieties appear in the sources.
When and how Philesia magellanica blooms
The sources do not record when Philesia magellanica flowers, nor how it is grown in a garden. What they describe is a plant that spreads outward rather than upward. It suckers, sending out stolons that take root and rise as fresh stems, until a thicket of it stands about 1.2 metres tall. Each leaf is glossy green above and carries two white bands of stomata beneath, the pores through which it takes in air. The sources give no detail on soil, seed or the age at which it first blooms.
Kinds of Philesia magellanica
There is only one species in the genus, Philesia magellanica, so there are no sibling species to set beside it. Within the species the sources note a colour variation: most flowers are pink, and darker, more purple forms have been recorded. No cultivars, named varieties or garden selections appear in the material.
What Philesia magellanica means
The sources record no emblem, festival, religious rite or traditional use for this plant. What they do give is its native name, Coicopihue. Its interest for botanists lies in two facts: it is the only species in its genus, and it is a monocot that has taken the form of a suckering shrub, which the sources call unusual. It sits in the family Philesiaceae.
Questions people ask about Philesia magellanica
Where does Philesia magellanica come from?
It grows wild in the far south of South America, in southern Chile and southern Argentina. In Chile its range runs from the Los Ríos region south to Magallanes, and it is a native plant of that cold southern country.
What does the flower look like?
Each flower has six tepals, which are petals and sepals that look alike. The three outer ones are short, 15 to 22 mm, and the three inner ones are long, 45 to 65 mm. Most are pink, though darker, more purple forms have been recorded.
Is it a shrub or a herb?
It is a shrub, which the sources call unusual for a monocot. It grows to about 1.2 metres and spreads by stolons, stems that run at or near ground level and send up new shoots.
Does it have another name?
The sources give the native name Coicopihue. No common English name is recorded, so in English the plant is generally known by its scientific name, Philesia magellanica, or simply as the genus Philesia.
What is it used for?
The sources describe no use for it, whether in gardens, medicine or ceremony. They present it as a wild plant of southern South America and note only its appearance, its spreading growth habit and its place in the family Philesiaceae.
Good reading and sources
- Philesia magellanicaRoyal Horticultural Society, Article
- Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
- Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
- Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Philesia", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. It is not medical or foraging advice: many flowers are poisonous, and traditional uses are reported, not recommended. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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