T.E.R:R.A.I.N - Taranaki Educational Resource: Research, Analysis and Information Network

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Salicaceae / Flacourtiaceae
Genus: Idesia Maxim.
Species: I. polycarpa
Binomial name: Idesia polycarpa Maxim.
Common names: Chinese Wonder Tree, English name: Iigiri Tree, Chinese name: Shantongzi

It is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to eastern Asia in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. It reaches a height of 8-21 m, with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter with smooth greyish-green bark.
The shoots are greyish-brown, stout, with a thick pith core. The leaves are large, heart-shaped, 8-20 cm long and 7-20 cm broad, with a red 4-30 cm petiole bearing two or more glands; the leaves are dark green above, glaucous below, and have a coarsely serrated margin. The flowers are small, yellowish green, fragrant, and born in panicles 13-30 cm long. It is dioecious with male and female flowers on separate trees; the male flowers are 12-16 mm diameter, the female flowers 9 mm diameter.
The fruit is a berry 5-10 mm diameter, ripening orange to dark purple-red, containing several 2-3 mm brown seeds, and often persisting until the following spring.

Lat 39 3'19.957" S Long 174 5'27.521" E Datum WGS 84


Flowers in late November