- Styphnolobium
Taxobox
name = "Styphnolobium"
image_width = 260px
image_caption = "Styphnolobium japonicum" foliage
regnum =Plant ae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo =Fabales
familia =Fabaceae
subfamilia =Faboideae
tribus =Sophoreae
genus = "Styphnolobium"
genus_authority = Schott
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Styphnolobium affine" - Coralbean "Styphnolobium japonicum " - Pagoda Tree "Styphnolobium monteviridis""Styphnolobium" is a small genus of three or four species of small
tree s andshrub s in the subfamilyFaboideae of the pea familyFabaceae , formerly included within a broader interpretation of the genus "Sophora ". The species of "Styphnolobium" differ from "Sophora" in lacking the ability to form symbioses withrhizobia (nitrogen fixingbacteria ) on theirroot s. They also differ from the related genus "Calia" (mescalbeans) in havingdeciduous leaves andflower s in axillary, not terminal,raceme s. The leaves arepinnate , with 9-21 leaflets, and the flowers in pendulous racemes similar to those of theBlack locust .pecies
*"Styphnolobium affine" (Torr. & A. Gray) Walp., the Coralbean or Eve's Necklace (syn. "Sophora affinis") is native to the southern
United States inTexas ,Oklahoma ,Arkansas andLouisiana . It is a large shrub or small tree, growing to 5-7 m tall, with white or pale violet flowers.
*"Styphnolobium japonicum " (L.) Schott, the Pagoda Tree (Chinese Scholar, Japanese pagodatree; syn. "Sophora japonica"), is native to easternAsia (mainlyChina ; despite the name, it is introduced inJapan ), is a popular ornamental tree inEurope ,North America andSouth Africa , grown for its white flowers, borne in late summer after most other flowering trees have long finished flowering. It grows into a lofty tree 10-20 m tall with an equal spread, and produces a fine, dark brown timber.
*"Styphnolobium monteviridis" is native toCentral America .Uses
The Pagoda Tree is widely used in
bonsai gardening. TheGuilty Chinese Scholartree was a historic Pagoda Tree in Beijing, on which the last emperor of theMing Dynasty , Chongzhen, hung himself."S. japonicum" (Chinese: ; pinyin: huái; formerly "Sophora japonica") is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in
traditional Chinese medicine .References
*The relationship of "Sophora" sect. "Edwardsia" (Fabaceae) to "Sophora tomentosa", the type species of the genus "Sophora", observed from DNA sequence data and morphological characters. "Bot. J. Linn. Soc." 146: 439-446 (2004). [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00348.x Available online] .
External links
* [http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Trees/pagoda.htm "Sophora japonica"]
* [http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/BotanicalSciences/TreesFamiliesNames/WhatTreeIsIt/IdentifybyName/CommonName/ChineseScholarTree/ChineseScholarTree.htm "Chinese Scholar Tree"]
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