Description

Leaves: Alternate; simple; oval to ovate; 3" to 6" long, 1-1/2" to 3" wide; deciduous; serrate margin; with an acuminate apex; dark green, glabrous, and shiny above; wrinkled; milky, latex-like sap when torn; petiole 1/2" long.

Twigs/buds: Twigs stout; gray-brown; waxy; chambered pith; exudes latex-like, stringy material when bark is stripped. No terminal bud; lateral buds 1/4" long, round, brown, covered with multiple overlapping scales.

Flowers/fruit: Dioecious. Flowers small and inconspicuous.  Fruit a waxy, winged capsule; 1" to 2" long.

Bark: Furrowed and blocky on older stems; gray-brown.

Wood: No information available.

General: Native to China. Only member of its genus and family. Medium to large tree. May no longer exist in nature. Very tolerant of adverse soil and atmospheric conditions and amost no pests. Shade intolerant.

Landscape Use: Very unusual in Utah and may be hard to obtain. I have seen a young one doing well at the American Fork LDS Temple and an older one at the UofU. Should make a good shade tree with its dark-green foliage and tolerance of a variety of conditions. Zones 4-7.

Characteristics