| English Name | Incense Tree |
|---|---|
| Status in China | Near Threatened (NT). Wild plant under State protection (category II). Recorded in China Plant Red Data Book andIllustration of Rare & endangered plant in Guangdong Province. |
Description:
Evergreen trees, branchlets sparsely pubescent when young. Leaves alternate, leathery, obovate to elliptic, 5-11 cm long and 2-4 cm wide, apex short acuminate, base broadly cuneate, margin entire, glabrous. Flowers yellowish green, fragrant, in a terminal or axillary umbel. Calyx ca. 6 mm, 5-toothed, pubescent on both sides. Petals 10, squamose; stamens 10 in one whorl. Ovary 2-celled, pubescent. Capsule woody, obovoid, 2.5-3 long, ca. 2 cm in diam.
Distribution:
Various locations in Hong Kong. Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi and S Yunnan.
Habitat and Ecology:
In lowland broad-leaved evergreen forest and in fung shui woods. Flowering: Apr.; fruiting: Jul.
This precious medicinal plant is a source of fragrant wood, formed under pathological conditions, called “Chen Xiang”. It is used medicinally and the plant is also used as an ornamental. Potential threats include destruction of habitats and over-exploitation, but the species is common in Hong Kong and currently not under any particular threat. Many localities of its occurrence fall inside Country Parks under protection. The plant has also been artificially propagated in Hong Kong and other cities of southern China.
References:
傅立國，1992: 中國植物紅皮書1：670-671。科學出版社，北京。
李振宇，1999: 中國植物誌52（1）：290。科學出版社，北京。
