47.214.193.24: Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance

2026-10-01T11:27:23Z

Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance

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{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Pil-pil (''Boquila trifoliolata'')
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Boquila trifoliolata''
|-
! Genus
| [[Boquila]]
|-
! Family
| [[Lardizabalaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Ranunculales]]
|-
! Native range
| Central and south-central Chile to adjacent Argentina[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]
|-
! Habitat
| Temperate evergreen to semi-deciduous forest, including wet and marshy settings[[#cite_note-2|[2]]][[#cite_note-3|[3]]]
|-
! Habit
| Evergreen or partly deciduous twining vine to about 6 m[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]
|-
! Fruit
| White globose berries, about 0.5–1.0 cm wide, usually with 1–2 seeds[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]
|}

''Boquila trifoliolata'', known as pil-pil, pilpilvoqui, voqui blanco, voquillo, or voquicillo, is an accepted climbing species native to central and south-central Chile and adjacent Argentina.[[#cite_note-1|[1]]] It grows in temperate forest and is useful to growers as a dioecious vine with edible-use records, fresh-seed propagation, and a preference for moist, humus-rich soil in semi-shade.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]][[#cite_note-3|[3]]]

== Description ==

This evergreen or partly deciduous vine has twining stems reaching about 6 m and trifoliate leaves. Its small yellowish-white flowers occur on separate male and female plants. The globose berries are white, about 0.5–1.0 cm in diameter, and usually contain one or two seeds, with up to four recorded in a fruit.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]

Boquila is notable for leaf-shape variation associated with supporting vegetation. A field study of 45 vines associated with 12 host-tree species found an association between Boquila and host phenotypes in 9 of 11 measured leaf traits, including leaf area, perimeter, petiole dimensions, angles, and colour.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]] A later artificial-host experiment reported altered leaf morphology near plastic leaves, but a 2026 controlled preprint found substantial intrinsic and environmentally associated variation and no host-presence link in its tested setup. The mechanism and generality of leaf mimicry therefore remain unresolved rather than being a settled cultivation requirement.[[#cite_note-5|[5]]][[#cite_note-6|[6]]]

== Cultivation ==

=== Soil and water ===

In its native range, ''B. trifoliolata'' occurs in evergreen to semi-deciduous Nothofagus forest at about 100–600 m, including wet forest and marshy or river-side settings. The cultivation account recommends humus-rich soil that does not dry during summer.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]][[#cite_note-3|[3]]] Begin with an organic, moisture-retentive soil that drains freely rather than remaining stagnant, and protect the root zone from extended summer drying. This is a direct translation of the documented habitat and cultivation preference, not a measured irrigation schedule.

=== Sun and humidity ===

The species is associated with wet temperate rainforest and is described in cultivation as preferring semi-shade.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]][[#cite_note-3|[3]]] A sheltered position with filtered light is a reasonable starting point; avoid treating semi-shade as a fixed light threshold because a species-specific exposure trial is not available here. The 2022 artificial-host experiment used plants grown near a window in a controlled setup, which does not establish an outdoor humidity or light requirement.[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]

=== Seasonal changes ===

Wild flowering is given as September–December and fruiting as January–March. In the Northern Hemisphere cultivation account, flowering occurred in April–June with fruiting in summer.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]] Keep the soil from drying during the warm season, when the documented Northern Hemisphere plants flowered and fruited. The same account records survival of frosts to at least −8 °C and occasional snow, but it does not quantify exposure duration, acclimation, plant age, or protection; that observation is not a universal hardiness limit.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]

== Propagation ==

Fresh seed is reported to germinate readily, whereas dried or stored seed is less viable. Sow fresh seed soon after the berries ripen rather than relying on long storage. Summer mature-wood cuttings rooted in a cold frame are also described as a propagation route.[[#cite_note-7|[7]]][[#cite_note-3|[3]]] A secondary horticultural compilation gives a 60–80% germination estimate, but the figure is not from a modern replicated propagation trial and should not be treated as a guaranteed rate.[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]

Because the species is dioecious, vegetative propagation is useful when a known-sex plant must be retained. Fruit production requires both male and female plants; a single cutting or seedling should not be assumed to provide both sexes.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. The wild calendar is September–December for flowering and January–March for fruiting, while the Northern Hemisphere cultivated plants flowered from April to June and produced fruit in summer.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]] Plan for a male and a female plant if fruit is wanted, and interpret the calendar in relation to hemisphere and local season rather than as a fixed schedule.

The fruit is a white globose berry about 0.5–1.0 cm wide, generally with one or two seeds and sometimes up to four.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]] The berries are described as eaten raw in a horticultural use account; that record describes a traditional or reported use and is not a formal food-safety assessment.[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]

== Fruit and uses ==

The small white berries are the plant's principal fruit interest. Their size, colour, and seed count are documented from the botanical account, while the raw-eating record comes from a secondary horticultural compilation.[[#cite_note-2|[2]]][[#cite_note-3|[3]]]

== References ==

* [[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:107230-1 ''Boquila trifoliolata'' | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science].

* [[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://www.academia.edu/37501434/738_Boquila_Trifoliolata 738. ''Boquila trifoliolata'']. Christenhusz, M.J.M. 2012. ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine'' 29(3): 277–283. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

* [[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Boquila+trifoliolata ''Boquila trifoliolata'' - Useful Temperate Plants].

* [[#cite_ref-4|↑]] '''[4]''' [https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2814%2900269-3 Leaf Mimicry in a Climbing Plant Protects against Herbivory]. Gianoli, E. and Carrasco-Urra, F. 2014. ''Current Biology'' 24(17): 1975–1979. DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2014.07.006.

* [[#cite_ref-5|↑]] '''[5]''' [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8903786/ ''Boquila trifoliolata'' mimics leaves of an artificial plastic host plant]. White, C.L. and Yamashita, J.G. 2022. ''Plant Signaling & Behavior'' 17(1): 2035919. DOI:10.1080/15592324.2021.1977530.

* [[#cite_ref-6|↑]] '''[6]''' [https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.03.749126v1.full Endogenous and environmentally modulated leaf shape plasticity in ''Boquila trifoliolata'': how good is the evidence for mimicry?]. Neustupa, J. et al. 2026. bioRxiv preprint 10.64898/2026.09.03.749126.

* [[#cite_ref-7|↑]] '''[7]''' [https://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Boquila+trifoliolata ''Boquila trifoliolata'' - Useful Temperate Plants], propagation section.

[[Category:Boquila]]
[[Category:Lardizabalaceae]]

Boquila trifoliolata - Revision history

47.214.193.24: Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance