Phoebe zhennan profile

Phoebe Zhennan is a precious wood unique to China. Phoebe Zhennan is a large tree, up to 30 meters high, trunk straight. Branchlets are usually slender, ribbed or nearly cylindrical, puberulent or pubescent with grayish yellow or grayish brown. Leaves are leathery, elliptic, 7-11 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide, glabrous above or pilose along lower midrib, densely pubescent below, cymose panicles very spreading, hairy, with 3-6 flowers per umbel, flowers medium to large, 3-4 mm long. Phoebe Zhennan fruit is elliptic, leathery, clingy, pubescent on both surfaces or puberulent externally. The flowering period is April-May, and the fruiting period is September-October.

Phoebe Zhennan is wild or cultivated; Wild species are found in hardwood forests below 1500 m. It is mainly produced in Sichuan, Western Hubei, Yunnan, Guizhou and the provinces south of the Yangtze River. According to records, of all the phoebe zhennan wood, the phoebe zhennan wood from Sichuan was made of the best material. It is a second-class protected plant in China.

Phoebe Zhennan wood has aroma, grain is straight and structure is close, not easy to deform and craze, wait for fine wood for building, high-grade furniture. Historically, Phoebe Zhennan wood was dedicated to the construction and furniture of royal palaces and a few temples. The crystals in Phoebe Zhennan wood were significantly more than those in the common nan wood. The wood surface glistened in the sunlight, the gold wires emerged, and there was a delicate fragrance.

Phoebe Zhennan picture

The plant form of Phoebe Zhennan

Phoebe Zhennan's original plant was a large tree, more than 30 meters high, with straight trunks. Bud scales covered with grayish - yellow appressed long hairs. Branchlets are usually slender, ribbed or nearly cylindrical, puberulent or pubescent with grayish yellow or grayish brown. Leaves are leathery, elliptic, less to lanceolate or oblanceolate, 7-11 (13) cm long, 2.5 4 cm wide, apex acuminate, pointed straight or a sickle, base cuneate, the end is blunt or sharp, light above have lower along the midrib glabrous or pilose, densely pubescent below, pilose on veins, midrib above sinking into a ditch, obviously raised below, lateral veins 8 to 13 per side, oblique extension, it is not obvious, obviously below, near the edge network knot, and gradually disappear, lateral veins slightly obvious or not obvious, below small veins nearly invisible, with transverse veins constitute a grid or rarely a blur grid; Phoebe Zhennan petiole is slender, 1-2.2 cm long, hairy.

Cymose panicles are very spreading, hairy, (6) 7.5 -- 12 cm long, slender, branching above middle, lowermost branches usually 2.5 -- 4 cm long, each umbel having 3 -- 6 flowers, usually 5;Flowers medium to large, 3-4 mm long, pedicels as long as flowers; Perianth segments are subequal, 3-3.5 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, ovate-orbicular, ovate-oblong, apex obtuse, grayish yellow long or pubescent on both surfaces, inner surface dense; Filaments ca. is  2 mm first and second, 2.3 mm third, both hairy, glandular sessile at base of third filaments, staminodes triangular, stipitate, glabrous; The ovary is globose, glabrous or upper part sparsely villous with style, stigma disciform.

Phoebe Zhennan fruit is elliptic, 1.1-1.4 cm long, 6-7 mm in diameter; Fruit peduncle slightly thickened; Perianth persistent ovate, leathery, clingy, pubescent on both surfaces or puberulent outside. The flowering period is April-May, and the fruiting period is September-October.

Phoebe Zhennan's growth habits and place of origin

Phoebe Zhennan enjoyed warm, humid conditions, but was resistant to heat and cold. The annual average temperature of the place of origin is about 17℃, and the annual rainfall is 1400-1600 mm, mostly distributed in the shady and wet valleys, depressions and rivers, which can tolerate intermittent short-term flooding. It grows best in neutral or slightly acidic alluvial or loamy soils with deep soil and good drainage, but worse in barren or poorly drained soils. Phoebe Zhennan is a neutral shade tree, young tolerance shade. Its taprote is obvious, lateral root is developed, root budding can grow into large diameter timber.

Phoebe Zhennan, a shade tolerant tree, often failed to grow under full light. Phoebe Zhennan prefers warm and humid climate and a more dank environment. Phoebe Zhennan has deep roots, strong germination, slow growth.Life is long.

Phoebe Zhennan grew up in shady and humid subtropical valleys and rivers with an altitude of 1000-1500 meters. The best ones were mainly distributed in Qionglai and Mount Emei in Sichuan, China, as well as places adjacent to Sichuan and Yunnan. Phoebe Zhennan is mainly distributed in Sichuan, Guizhou and other subtropical areas with an altitude of 1000-1500 meters, damp valley, valley and riverside.