It belongs to the genus Persea, a group of evergreen trees including the avocado.

[2] It grows in coastal and mountain forests from sea level up to 2000 m elevation.

[1] In pharmacy its bark was once mentioned as cortex Lauri lingue,[3] medicinal action unknown.

In the late 19th and early 20th century the bark of the tree which is rich in tannins was used to produce leather.

An industry based in Valdivia and led by German immigrants and German-Chileans harvested the tree and exported the leather to Hamburg and Le Havre.