Ailanthus (derived from ailanto, an Ambonese word probably meaning "tree of the gods" or "tree of heaven") is a genus of trees belonging to the family Simaroubaceae, in the order Sapindales (formerly Rutales or Geraniales). The genus is native from east Asia south to northern Australasia. They are also known as "poverty trees", ubiquitous in the backyards and vacant lots of New York or anyplace there happens to be a piece of urban dirt. The Ambonese, also known as South Moluccans, are an Indonesian of mixed Malay-Papuan origin. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Genera Ailanthus Alvaradoa Castela Holacantha Picramnia Kirkia Picrasma Quassia Simarouba The Simaroubaceae are a small family in the order Sapindales, including trees such as Ailanthus. ... Families See text Sapindales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. ... Families See text Sapindales (pronounced /sæpindeyliz/, last two syllables just like the word dailies [source: Websters Third New International Dictionary, p. ... Families (APG II) Geraniaceae (geranium family) Melianthaceae Vivianiaceae Ledocarpaceae The Geraniales are an small order of flowering plants, included within the rosid subgroup of dicotyledons. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Australasia Australasia is a term variably used to describe a region of Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. ...

They are fast-growing deciduous trees growing to 25-45 m tall, with spreading branches and large (40-100 cm) pinnate leaves with 15-41 long pointed leaflets, the terminal leaflet normally present, and the basal pairs of leaflets often lobed at their bases. The small yellow to greenish flowers are borne on branched panicles; the male flowers have a strong odour. The odour tends to resemble the smell of strong cat urine or the spray of a male cat. The fruit is a samara drawn out into a long wing with the seed in the middle. The wood is fine grained and satiny. Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off) and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally. ... A Phalaenopsis flower Rudbeckia fulgida A flower, (<Old French flo(u)r<Latin florem<flos), also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... Maple samara or key A samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. ...

The number of species is disputed, with some authorities accepting up to ten species, while others accept six or fewer. Species include:

• Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven) – northern and central mainland China, Taiwan, arguably the best known species.
• Ailanthus excelsa – India and Sri Lanka
• Ailanthus integrifolia – New Guinea and Queensland, Australia
• Ailanthus malabarica – southeast Asia
• Ailanthus triphysa (White Siris) – northern and eastern Australia
• Ailanthus vilmoriniana (Downy Tree of Heaven) – southwest China

Ailanthus altissima flowers

A silk spinning moth, the Ailanthus moth (Samia cynthia), lives on Ailanthus leaves, and yields a silk more durable and cheaper than mulberry silk, but inferior to it in fineness and gloss. This moth has been introduced to the eastern United States and is common near many towns; it is about 12 cm across, with angulated wings, and in colour olive brown, with white markings. Other Lepidoptera whose larvae feed on Ailanthus include Endoclita malabaricus. Binomial name Ailanthus altissima (Mill. ... ... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  4,164,590 (3rd)  - Density  2. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Binomial name Dode Ailanthus vilmoriniana, commonly known as Downy Tree of Heaven, is a tree in the quassia family. ... This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Superfamilies Butterflies Hesperioidea Papilionoidea Moths Acanthopteroctetoidea Alucitoidea Axioidea Bombycoidea Calliduloidea Choreutoidea Cossoidea Drepanoidea Epermenioidea Eriocranioidea Galacticoidea Gelechioidea Geometroidea Gracillarioidea Hedyloidea Hepialoidea Heterobathmioidea Hyblaeoidea Immoidea Incurvarioidea Lasiocampoidea Lophocoronoidea Micropterigoidea Mimallonoidea Mnesarchaeoidea Neopseustoidea Nepticuloidea Noctuoidea Palaephatoidea Pterophoroidea Pyraloidea Schreckensteinioidea Sesioidea Simaethistoidea Thyridoidea Tineoidea Tischerioidea Tortricoidea Urodoidea Whalleyanoidea Yponomeutoidea Zygaenoidea The order Lepidoptera... A larval insect A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... Endoclita is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. ...

References and external links

• Ailanthus Desf.. Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Ailanthus
• Ailanthus and Staghorn Sumac, from The Monday Garden.

Also known as the "Ghetto Palm".