Willow Twig Chinese Toon

Willow Twig Chinese Toon

　　Willow Twig Chinese Toon

　　A deciduous tree that can grow up to 15 meters tall. The bark is dark brown and peels off in flakes; young branches are covered with soft hairs. The even-pinnate compound leaves are 25–50 cm long and have a distinctive fragrance; there are 10–22 leaflets that are opposite, oblong or oblong-lanceolate in shape, measuring 8–15 cm in length, hairless or with tufts of long hairs in the vein axils on the underside. The inflorescence is a terminal panicle; flowers are fragrant; sepals are small; petals are white and ovate-oblong; there are 5 staminodes that alternate with the fertile stamens. The capsule is ovoid, 1.5–2.5 cm long; seeds are elliptical, with one end having a membranous long wing. Flowering occurs from May to June, fruiting in August.

　　Cultivated in various regions, mostly planted along village roadsides; distributed from North to Southwest China.

　　The tender shoots are edible. The wood has a fine grain and is used in shipbuilding and as construction material. Sawdust and roots can be used to extract aromatic oil, which is used abroad as a flavoring agent for cigars. The seeds can be pressed for oil, with an oil content of 38.5%; root bark and fruits are used medicinally for their astringent, hemostatic, dehumidifying, and analgesic properties. The bark contains toosendanin, linalool, and tannins; the leaves contain carotenoids, vitamin B, and C.