台湾翅子树 tai wan chi zi shu

Pterospermum formosanum Matsumura.

Trees, to 20 m tall. Branchlets yellow stellate tomentose when young and glabrescent. Stipules lanceolate, ca. 8 mm; petiole 0.5-1 cm, gray-yellow velutinous; leaf blade oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 12-18 × 3.5-7 cm, abaxially densely gray-yellow velutinous, adaxially yellow velutinous near base of petiole, basal veins 5, impressed adaxially and prominently raised abaxially, base obliquely cordate, margin entire, apex acuminate or caudate. Flowers solitary, 5-7 cm in diam. Sepals linear-lanceolate, ca. 4.5 × 0.4 cm, abaxially yellow-brown velutinous, adaxially villous. Petals white, obovate, ca. 3.5 × 1.1 cm, apex obtuse. Staminodes filiform. Ovary ovoid, densely tomentose; style glabrous; stigma 5-lobed. Capsule cylindrical, or cylindrical-ellipsoid, 8-10 × ca. 3 cm, glabrous, apex acute and beaked. Seeds 3-4 cm including wing, apex obtuse.

Lowland forests. S Taiwan [Philippines].

Pterospermum niveum is possibly conspecific with P. celebicum Miquel. The type of P. formosanum has not been seen but the type locality and protologue description strongly suggest that it belongs here.

The timber is valued commercially.