?Chinese tallow
Chinese tallow tree leaves and blossom buds
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malpighiales Family: Euphorbiaceae Subfamily: Euphorbioideae Tribe: Hippomaneae Subtribe: Hippomaninae Genus: Sapium Species: S. sebiferum
Binomial name
Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb.

Sapium sebiferum, also known as the Chinese tallow tree, Florida aspen and Popcorn tree, originated in far eastern Asia, commonly eastern Mainland China ,Taiwan and Japan. where the waxy coating of the seeds is used for candle and soap making, and the leaves are used as herbal medicine to treat boils. The plant sap and leaves are reputed to be toxic, and decaying leaves from the plant are toxic to other species of plant. The specific name sebiferum means "wax-bearing". Chinese tallow leaves and blossom buds Moncks Corner, South Carolina Image taken by me, released under GFDL Pollinator 14:40, 28 Feb 2004 (UTC) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta - rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta - zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta - trimerophytes Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also called angiosperms) are the dominant and most familiar group of land plants. ... Orders See text. ... Families Family Achariaceae Family Balanopaceae Family Bonnetiaceae Family Caryocaraceae Family Chrysobalanaceae Family Clusiaceae Family Ctenolophonaceae Family Dichapetalaceae Family Elatinaceae Family Erythryloxaceae (coca family) Family Euphorbiaceae (spurge family) Family Euphroniaceae Family Goupiaceae Family Humiriaceae Family Hypericaceae (St Johns wort family) Family Irvingiaceae Family Ixonanthaceae Family Lacistemaceae Family Linaceae (flax family... Genera See text Ref: Euphorbiaceae in The Families of Flowering Plants, as of 2002-07-13 The Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) is a large family of flowering plants with 280 genera and around 6000 species. ... Tribes Euphorbieae Hippomaneae Hureae Pachystromateae Stomatocalyceae The Euphorbioideae is a subfamily of the family Euphorbiaceae. ... Subtribes and genera Subtribe Carumbiinae Omalanthus Subtribe Hippomaninae Actinostemon Adenopeltis Anomostachys Balakata Bonania Colliguaja Conosapium Dalembertia Dendrocousinsia Dendrothrix Ditrysinia Duvigneaudia Excoecaria Falconeria Grimmeodendron Gymnanthes Hippomane Mabea Maprounea Neoshirakia Pleradenophora Pseudosenefeldera Rhodothyrsus Sapium - Chinese tallow Sclerocroton Sebastiania Senefeldera Senefelderopsis Spegazziniophytum Spirostachys Stillingia Triadica Hippomaneae is a tribe of plant of the... Hippomaninae is a plant of the family Euphorbiaceae. ... Binomial name Sapium sebiferum Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) originates in eastern Asia where the waxy coating of the seeds is used for candle and soap making, and the leaves are used as herbal medicine to treat boils. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Engraving by Charles Turner Warren William Roxburgh (June 29, 1759 – April 10, 1815) was a Scottish physician and botanist. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... The highlighted area in the map is what is commonly known as mainland China. Mainland China (Simplified Chinese: 中国大陆; Traditional Chinese: 中國大陸; pinyin: Zhōnggúo Dàlù; literally The Chinese Massive Landmass or Continental China) is an informal (disputed — see talk page) geographical term which is usually synonymous with the area... A collection of lit candles on ornate candlesticks A close-up image of a candle showing the wick and the various regions of the flame. ... Soap most commonly appears in bar form. ... The leaves of a Beech tree A leaf with laminar structure and pinnate venation In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... The term Herbalism refers to folk and traditional medicinal practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. ... The abbreviation, acronym, or initialism SAP has several different meanings: SAP AG, a German software company, or its various products such as SAP R/3 or SAP Business Information Warehouse second audio program (television) Session Announcement Protocol Soritong audio player Simple As Possible Computer Architecture Structural Adjustment Program of the... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta - rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta - zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta - trimerophytes Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta...

Physical characteristics

The simple, deciduous leaves of this tree are alternate, broad rhombic to ovate in shape and have smooth edges, heart shaped and sometimes with an extended tail often resembling to bo tree, Ficus religiosa. The leaves are bright green in color and slightly paler underneath. They become bright yellows, oranges, purples and reds in the autumn. The tree is monoecious, producing male and female flowers on the same plant. Binomial name Ficus religiosa Linnaeus The Bodhi or Bo or Peepul tree (Ficus religiosa), is a species of fig (Family Moraceae) and a sacred tree for Buddhists. ... Plant sexuality deals with the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. ...

Seed pods

The waxy green leaves set off the clusters of greenish-yellow and white flowers at bloom time. The flowers occur in terminal spike-like inflorescences up to 20 cm long. Light green in color, these flowers are very conspicuous in the spring. Each pistillate (female) flower is solitary and has a three-lobed ovary, three styles, and no petals. They are located on short branches at the base of the spike. The staminate (male) flowers occur in clusters at the upper nodes of the inflorescence. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 798 KB) Picture taken by DanielCD on May 23, 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 798 KB) Picture taken by DanielCD on May 23, 2005. ... For other articles with similar names, see Flower (disambiguation). ... An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers on a branch of a plant. ...

Fruits are three-lobed, three-valved capsules. As the capsules mature, their color changes from green to a brown-black. The capsule walls fall away and release three globose seeds with a white, tallow-containing covering. Seeds usually hang on the plants for several weeks. In North America, the flowers typically mature from April to June and the fruit ripens from September to October. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Range and habitat

The plant is an invasive species in the southern United States. It was introduced in colonial times and has become naturalized from South Carolina southward along the Atlantic and the entire Gulf coast, where it grows profusely along ditchbanks and dikes. Lantana Invasion of abandoned citrus plantation; Moshav Sdey Hemed, Israel; May 2, 2006 The term invasive species refers to a subset of those species defined as introduced species or non-indigenous species. ... Naturalization is the act whereby a person voluntarily and actively acquires a nationality which is not his or her nationality at birth. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35... The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the Earths surface. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... Afsluitdijk, a 32 km dike in the Netherlands. ...

Range in the United States

Although the plant is listed as a noxious weed by many states, it is still sold in nurseries as an ornamental tree. It is not choosy about soil types or drainage, but will not grow in deep shade. It commonly grows all over Japan, and is reasonably hardy. It is prized for its abundant and often spectacular autumn foliage. Image File history File links Range of the Chinese tallow in the United States. ... Image File history File links Range of the Chinese tallow in the United States. ... The notion of weed is almost entirely in the eye of the beholder. ... A nursery is a place where plants are propagated, usually for sale as a business, though some gardeners and farmers keep private nurseries. ... An ornamental plant is a plant that is grown for its ornamental qualities, rather than for its commercial or other value. ... Loess field in Germany Soil horizons are formed by combined biological, chemical and physical alterations. ... Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. ...

Uses

Sapium sebiferum in autumn, Japan

The wax of the seeds is harvested by placing the seeds in hot water, and skimming the surface of the water. Though other parts of the plant are toxic, the wax is not, and it can be used as a substitute for vegetable oil in cooking. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (840x560, 244 KB) Summary Image I took of free roaming deer in a park close to the Great Buddha temple, Todai-j, in Nara town, south east of Kyoto, Japan. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (840x560, 244 KB) Summary Image I took of free roaming deer in a park close to the Great Buddha temple, Todai-j, in Nara town, south east of Kyoto, Japan. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with cooking oil. ...

The nectar is also non-toxic, and it has become a major honey plant for beekeepers. The honey is not of high quality, being sold as bakery grade, but is produced copiously at a barren time of year, after most of the other spring bloom is done. In the Gulf coast states, beekeepers migrate with their honeybees to good tallow locations near the sea. In Greek mythology, nectar and ambrosia are the food of the gods. ... Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of one or more hives of honeybees. ... Bakery foods A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, cakes and similar foods. ... Species Apis andreniformis Apis cerana, or eastern honey bee Apis dorsata, or giant honey bee Apis florea Apis koschevnikovi Apis laboriosa Apis mellifera, or western honey bee Apis nigrocincta Apis nuluensis Honey bees are a subset of bees which represent a far smaller fraction of bee diversity than most people...

The tree is highly ornamental, fast growing and a good shade tree. It is especially noteworthy if grown in areas that have strong seasonal temperature ranges with the leaves becoming a multitude of colours rivalling maples in the autumn.

References

• University of Florida: Chinese tallow