LUMA (Myrceugenella) apiculata. Arrayan. Chile and Argentina. A shrubby myrtle ally with many uses in California. Left alone, it is a roughly vase-shaped shrub or small tree, growing 10’ to 20’ or a little more. Its smooth, tan bark stands in dramatic contrast to the deep, glossy green of the leaves. The latter are about 1” long, broadly oval in outline and convex. They show attractive bronze tints in new growth. In summer it is sprinkled with small 5-petalled cream-white flowers which show the same dense brushes of stamens as the true myrtles (Myrtus). These are followed by small berries which turn nearly black when mature. Luma is a plastic shrub, easily formed by judicious pruning but well-behaved with little maintenance. It can be a specimen shrub, patio tree or part of a tall shrubby screen or border. It thrives in sun and most soils, with moderate to occasional watering. Hardy to 20oF. or less.