Toona sinensis

Content

Description

Tree to 40 m; bole to 20 m and girth to 150 cm, buttressed. Bark grey to dark brown, fissured; inner bark pink to red, fibrous; sapwood cream, fibrous; smelling strongly of garlic and pepper when cut. Leaves 32–120 cm long, usually 8–20-jugate; rachides glabrous to pilose, often reddish; petioles 5.5–20 cm long, glabrous to pilose. Inflores- cences up to 1 m, pendent, rachides glabrescent, pilose or villous with short appressed or spreading staple hairs; pedicels c. 0.5 mm, glabrescent to pilose. Flowers 3.5–4.5 mm long. Petals white or flushed pink, 2.8–4.2 by 1.1–2.9 mm, glabrous externally, margins non-ciliate. Ovary 1.6–2.25 mm diam., glabrous; locules to 6-ovulate. Capsule 15–30 mm long; columella 12–29 mm long, 6–11 mm broad, convex; valves reddish to dark brown, 15–30 by 4–7 mm, elenticellate and smooth to punctate with small (0.3–0.5 mm diam.) scattered lenticels. Seeds winged at one end, 8–16 by 3.5–6.2 mm; seed body 8–10 by 1.7–4 mm.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Borneo (Sabah present), Cibodas present, Highlands of tropical Asia from India, Nepal and China through Burma, Thailand to Malesia present, Mt Merbabu present, Pahang present, Palembang present, Perak present, Preanger present, Tapanuli present, W & E Coast present

Highlands of tropical Asia from India, Nepal and China through Burma, Thailand to Malesia: Sumatra (W & E Coast, Palembang, Tapanuli), Peninsular Malaysia (Perak, Pahang), Borneo (Sabah), Java (Preanger, Cibodas, Mt Merbabu). It is planted in India and Sri Lanka for shade, and in various European cities (e.g. Paris, where introduced via Japan in 1862, the original tree in the rue Buffon being felled in the 1970s) as an avenue tree.

Morphology

The leaf morphology and indumentum types and density are particularly variable in this species, with capsule valve form also showing some variability. On the basis of such features, eight infraspecific variants have been recognized by other authors.

Uses

The timber is used for furniture and sieve hoop making, and in bridge con- struction. The leaves are used as food in China and Malaysia, and as animal fodder in India (Burkill 1930). The trees are widely used medicinally, with the bark being used as an astringent and depurative; powdered root as a refreshment and a diuretic, and tender leaves as a carminative (Perry 1980). Cultivated plants in Europe include cv. Flamingo with brightly coloured young leaves.

Citation

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C.DC. 1878 – In: DC, Monogr. Phan. 1: 743

Lace 1922: List Trees Burma: 31

Bean 1970 – In: Trees & Shrubs, ed. 8: 557.

Li 1944 – In: Trop. Woods: 18

C.DC 1908 – In: Rec. Bot. Surv. India: 360

A. Juss. 1831 – In: Linnaea: 115

A.Chev. 1944 – In: Rev. Bot. Appl. Agr. Trop.: 156

Backer 1911: Schoolfl. Java: 219

Styles & White 1991: Flora Trop. East Africa, Meliaceae: 46.

Shirasawa 1908 – In: Icon. Ess. Flor. Japon.: t. 35, f. 1–13 (‘chinensis’)

Brandis 1874: Forest Fl. NW & C India: 73

Li 1944 – In: Trop. Woods: 19.

A. Chev. 1944 – In: Rev. Bot. Appl. Agr. Trop.: 156.

Franchet 1884: p. 220. – In: Nouv. Arch. Mus. Paris: (Plantae David. 1: 68)

C.DC. 1878 – In: DC, Monogr. Phan. 1: 746.

Kanjilal 1901 – In: Forest Fl. School Circle: 60

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André 1891: Rev. Hort.: 573

Chen 1986 – In: J. Wuhan Bot. Res.: 186

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L.M. Perry 1980: Med. Plants E & SE Asia: 263

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Harms 1896 – In: Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3, 4: 269

Harms 1940 – In: Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2, 19bl: 46

Blanco 1880 – In: Fl. Filip.: 45.

Collett 1902: Fl. Simlensis: 83

Gamble 1880: Man. Indian Trees: 79

Troup 1932: Exotic Trees: 64

K.Heyne 1917 – In: Nutt. Pl. Ned.- Indië, ed. 1: 42

Kuntze 1891 – In: Rev. Gen. Pl.: 111

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Stainton 1988: Flowers Himal.: 11

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Hara & Williams 1979 – In: Enum. Flow. Pl. Nepal: 86

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X.M. Chen 1986 – In: J. Wuhan Bot. Res.: 187.

Panigrahi 1974 – In: Bangl. J. Bot.: 54.

Briq. 1935 – In: Mém. Inst. Nat. Genev.: 31