by livestock and having been decimated lumberjacks and wildfires in the past. northern ex It has also been planted along the northern part of the Pacific Coast of the United States. At present much Pilgerodendron uviferum grow in the Andes and in the Chilean Coast Range. However, during the interstadials of the region's last glacial period, P. uviferum grew in lowland areas such as the Central Valley, where it is now absent. Remaining lowland populations are thought to be relicts that have survived the warmer climate of the Holocene. The wood of P. uviferum is yellow-reddish and has a distinct spicy-resinous smell, and is highly resistant to decay, which has made it very valuable as a source of timber for building construction in its native range. Much of its original lowland habitat has been cleared for this and other reasons. Due to over-exploitation, the species is now much scarcer than formerly, and is accordingly listed under CITES Appendix I, meaning commercial international trade is prohibited. P. uviferum is considered threatened by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. History Indigenous sea-faring nomads of the Chono and Kawésqars groups used Pilgerodendron uviferum as firewood as well as wood for rows, boats and houses. During the Antonio de Vea expedition (1675–1676) Spanish explorers visited the Guaitecas and Chonos archipelagoes where the tree grew noticing the similarity to the "cypresses of Spain". Historically the wood was used to make railway sleepers, but eventually became popular for use as timber in all types of construction. In the 1860s, Felipe Westhoff was one of various businessmen who exported Pilgerodendron uviferum north to Chilean and Peruvian ports. Westhoff, who was based in Ancud, came initially as an agent of Ferrocarril Central Andino in Peru to purchase sleepers but soon became an independent businessman. The town of Melinka was established in 1860 during the Pilgerodendron boom. This was the first permanent settlement in the Guaitecas Archipelago. After Westhoff's retirement in the 1870s, Ciriaco Álvarez, a native of Chonchi, rose as the most prominent P. uviferum businessman in the area, and was dubbed "The King of Pilgerodendron" (). Many of the wooden structures in settlements of the southern Chilean archipelagos are built largely from P. uviferum wood. References Cupressaceae Valdivian temperate rainforest Trees of mild maritime climate Trees of subpolar oceanic climate Monotypic conifer genera Garden plants of South America