Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Epaulette tree

(Pterostyrax hispidus)

galery
en

Description

Pterostyrax hispidus, the epaulette tree or fragrant epaulette tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Styracaceae, native to China and Japan. Growing to 15 m (49 ft) tall by 12 m (39 ft) broad, it is a substantial, spreading, deciduous shrub with oval leaves up to 20 cm (8 in) long, and clusters of pure white, fragrant, pendent flowers in summer. The specific epithet hispidus (often given incorrectly as hispida or hispidum) refers to the small ribbed fruits which are covered in bristles. The common name "epaulette tree" refers to the fringed individual flowers. Pterostyrax, the epaulette tree, is a small genus of four species of deciduous large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, native to eastern Asia in China and Japan. They grow 4–12 m (13–39 ft) tall, with alternate, simple ovate leaves 6–17 cm (2–7 in) long and 4–10 cm (2–4 in) broad. The flowers are white, produced in dense panicles 8–25 cm (3–10 in) long. The fruit is an oblong dry drupe, with longitudinal ribs or narrow wings (the wings are absent in the related genus Styrax, whence the name Pterostyrax, "winged styrax").

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order:Ericales
Family:Styracaceae
Genus:Pterostyrax
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