黄连木 huang lian mu

Pistacia formosana Matsumura; P. philippinensis Merrill & Rolfe; Rhus argyi H. Léveillé; R. gummifera H. Léveillé.

Deciduous trees, about 20 m tall; bark dark brown. Petioles minutely pubescent, flattened above; leaf blade imparipinnately compound with 1-13 opposite leaflets; leaf rachis striate, minutely pubescent; petiolule 1-2 mm; leaflet blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, or rarely linear-lanceolate, 5-10 × 1.5-2.5 cm, papery, base oblique, margin entire, apex acuminate or long acuminate, on both sides minutely pubescent along midrib and lateral veins and with prominent venation. Flowers produced before leafing; male inflorescence 6-7 cm, with clustered branches, female inflorescence lax, 15-20 cm, rachis minutely pubescent; floral subtending bracts lanceolate, 1.5-2 mm, minutely pubescent. Pedicels ca. 1 mm, minutely pubescent. Male flowers with 2 lanceolate bracteoles and 2 linear-lanceolate tepals, ca. 1.5 mm; stamens 3-5, filaments less than 0.5 mm, anthers oblong, ca. 2 mm; pistillode absent. Female flowers with 2-4 linear-lanceolate bracteoles and 5 ovate or oblong tepals, 0.7-1.5 × 0.5-0.7 mm; ovary globose, ca. 0.5 mm in diam., glabrous, stigmas thick, red. Drupe obovate-globose, slightly compressed, ca. 5 mm in diam., longitudinally striate in dried condition. Fl. Mar-May, fr. Aug-Nov.

● Hill and mountain forests on rocky soils; 100-3600 m. Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, SE Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

The wood is used for production of furniture and yields a yellow dye.