Description:
A medium-sized tree, reaching a height of 10-15 meters with a diameter of 20-25 cm. Young branches are slender and green, while older branches are purplish-green. Leaves are simple, thin to stiff, and opposite. They are ovate to round, 8-12 cm long and 9-12 cm wide, often featuring 3-lobed, palmate venation, with the middle lobe larger than the two side lobes. The apex is convex and tapers into a tail-like shape, while the base is round or nearly heart-shaped. The leaf margins are smooth, with sparse serrations at the apex. Leaf stalks are round, small, soft, 3-3.5 cm long, and 1.1 mm thick. The leaves are deciduous, shedding in winter.
Inflorescences are drooping panicles, 5-6 cm long, bearing flowers of mixed sexes. The calyx has 5 yellowish-green sepals. The corolla has 5 white petals. There are 8 stamens. The floral disk is outside the stamens and smooth. The ovary has long, soft hairs, a smooth style, and a 2-lobed stigma. The fruit is a samara with a brownish-yellow wing, attached to a round, drooping fruit cluster. The total length, including the wing, is 2.5-3 cm, with prominent venation.
Distribution:
- Global: China.
- Vietnam: Grows in tropical to subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests, from hills and low mountains to mid-altitude mountains above 900m (above sea level) in the provinces of Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, and Cao Bang.
Ecology:
A shade-tolerant species; young trees require shade for normal development. As adults, the trees inhabit the canopy layer alongside dominant species, coexisting with other evergreen broadleaf species. It prefers yellow soil or humus-rich, well-drained, loose, fertile soil that is slightly acidic or alkaline. The tree flowers and fruits cyclically, with a productive season every other year.
Uses:
The wood is of limited use, suitable for general household furniture, construction of covered indoor components, vehicle construction, flooring, and the production of fiber tubes and weaving shuttles. The seeds contain oil, which can be pressed into edible oil. The tree is ornamental, with its leaves turning a deep red before falling in winter, and can be cultivated in towns and cities in mountainous areas.