山楝 shan lian

Aglaia polystachya Wallich in Roxburgh, Fl. Ind. 2: 429. 1824; A. aphanamixis Pellegrin; Amoora elmeri Merrill; A. grandifolia (Blume) Walpers; A. rohituka (Roxburgh) Wight & Arnott; Andersonia rohituka Roxburgh; Aphanamixis elmeri (Merrill) Merrill; A. grandifolia Blume; A. rohituka (Roxburgh) Pierre; A. sinensis F. C. How & T. C. Chen; A. tripetala (Blanco) Merrill; Chuniodendron spicatum Hu; C. yunnanense Hu; Trichilia tripetala Blanco.

Trees or shrubs, (2-)20-30 m tall. Leaves odd- or even- pinnate, 30-60(-90) cm; leaflets (5-)9-21, opposite; petiolules (2-)6-12 mm; leaflet blades oblong-elliptic, elliptic, or ovate, (7-)17-26 × 4-10 cm with basal pair smallest, membranous when young, subleathery to leathery when mature, with visible transparent tiny spots under sunlight, both surfaces glabrous, secondary veins (8-)11-20 on each side of midvein and slender, base oblique and cuneate to broadly cuneate or sometimes one side rounded, margin entire, apex caudate-acuminate to obtuse. Inflorescences axillary, less than 30 cm. Flowers 6-7 mm in diam., with 3 bracteoles. Sepals 5, suborbicular, 1-1.5 mm in diam., margin sometimes ciliate. Petals 3-7 mm in diam., concave. Staminal tube globose, glabrous; anthers 5 or 6, oblong. Ovary 3-locular, with thick trichomes. Capsule spherical-pyriform to nearly ovoid, 2-2.5 × 2.5-3 cm, orangish when mature. Seeds grayish brown, oblate, 1.3-1.5 × 1-1.2 cm. Fl. May-Sep, fr. Oct-Apr.

Dense or sparse mixed evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous forests in mountainous regions; low to middle elevations. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan (Lan Yu), Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Pacific islands (Solomon Islands)].

The seed oil is used for making soap and lubricating oil. The very fine wood is used for construction and ship-making.