Dove tree
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae (Nyssaceae) Genus: Davidia Baillon Species: D. involucrata
Binomial name
Davidia involucrata Baillon

The Dove tree (Davidia involucrata) is a medium-sized deciduous tree, usually placed in the tupelo family (Nyssaceae), but is sometimes included (with the tupelos) in the dogwood family (Cornaceae), and by yet others given family status of its own, as Davidiaceae. It is also known as the Handkerchief tree. The tree is native to central China, from Hubei to southern Gansu, south to Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan. Replacing lost image origionally contribute by User:MPF ~ Davidia involucrata flowers. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize 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 Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also angiosperms or Magnoliophyta) are one of the major groups of modern plants, comprising those that produce seeds in specialized reproductive organs called flowers, where the ovulary or carpel is enclosed. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class: this name is formed by replacing the termination -aceae in the name Magnoliaceae by the termination -opsida (Art 16 of the ICBN). ... Families See text The Cornales are an order of flowering plants, basal among the asterid group of dicotyledons. ... Genera Cornaceae sensu stricto     Cornus -- dogwood Nyssaceae     (Nyssa -- tupelo)     (Camptotheca -- happy tree)     (Davidia -- dove tree) The Dogwood family (Cornaceae) is a widespread family, mostly in the north temperate zone, in the order Cornales. ... Genus Nyssa - tupelo Camptotheca - happy tree Davidia - dove tree Family Nyssaceae is a small plant family related to and often included within the Dogwood Family (Cornaceae). ... A bust of Baillon Louis Antoine François Baillon (January 20, 1778 - December 3, 1851) was a French naturalist and collector. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... 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. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... For the city, see Tupelo, Mississippi. ... In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is 1) a rank or 2) a taxon in that rank. ... Genus Nyssa - tupelo Camptotheca - happy tree Davidia - dove tree Family Nyssaceae is a small plant family related to and often included within the Dogwood Family (Cornaceae). ... Subgenera Cornus Benthamidia Swida The Dogwoods comprise a group of 30-50 species of deciduous woody plants (shrubs and trees) in the family Cornaceae, divided into one to nine genera or subgenera (depending on botanical interpretation). ... Genera Cornaceae sensu stricto     Cornus -- dogwood Nyssaceae     (Nyssa -- tupelo)     (Camptotheca -- happy tree)     (Davidia -- dove tree) The Dogwood family (Cornaceae) is a widespread family, mostly in the north temperate zone, in the order Cornales. ... Hubei (Chinese: 湖北; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hu-pei; Postal System Pinyin: Hupeh) is a central province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Gansu (Simplified Chinese: 甘肃; Traditional Chinese: 甘肅; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kan-su, Kansu, or Kan-suh) is a province located in the northwest of the Peoples Republic of China. ... (Simplified Chinese: 贵州; Traditional Chinese: è²´å·ž; pinyin: Gùizhōu; Wade-Giles: Kuei-chou; also spelled Kweichow) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. ...   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: SzÅ­4-chuan1; Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in the central-western China with its capital at Chengdu. ...   (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally south of the clouds) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located in the far southwestern corner of the country. ...

The Dove tree is the only member of its genus, but there are two varieties differing slightly in their leaves, Davidia involucrata var. involucrata, which has the leaves thinly pubescent (short-haired) on the underside, and Davidia involucrata var. vilmoriniana, with glabrous (hairless) leaves. Some botanists treat them as distinct species, with good reason as the two taxa have differing chromosome numbers so are unable to produce fertile hybrid offspring. For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... “Foliage” redirects here. ... Figure 1: A representation of a condensed eukaryotic chromosome, as seen during cell division. ... // This article is about a biological term. ...

It is a moderately fast-growing tree, growing to about 20-25 m in height, with alternate cordate leaves resembling those of a linden in appearance, except that they are symmetrical, and lacking the lop-sided base typical of linden leaves; the leaves are mostly 10-20 cm long and 7-15 cm wide and are ovate to heart-shaped. Species About 30; see text A lime-lined avenue in Alexandra Park, London Tilia leaf Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest species diversity is found), Europe and eastern North America; it is absent... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ...

The Dove tree is best known for its flowers. These form a tight cluster about 1-2 cm across, reddish in colour, each flower head with a pair of large (12-25 cm), pure white bracts at the base performing the function of petals. These hang in long rows beneath the level branches. The flowers are at their best in late May. On a breezy day, the bracts flutter in the wind like white doves, hence the English name for this tree. 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). ... Toothed bracts on Rhinanthus minor In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, from the axil of which a flower or flower stalk arises; or a bract may be any leaf associated with an inflorescence. ... Subfamilies see article text Feral Rock Pigeon beside Weiming Lake, Peking University Dove redirects here. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Young Dove tree in flower

The fruit is a very hard nut about 3 cm long surrounded by a green husk about 4 cm long by 3 cm wide, pendulous on a 10 cm stalk. The nut contains 3-6 seeds. Davidia involucrata branch. ... Davidia involucrata branch. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... Hazelnuts from the Common Hazel Chestnut A nut can be either a seed or a fruit. ...

The species was introduced from China to Europe and North America in 1904, and is a popular ornamental tree in larger gardens. Most trees in cultivation are var. vilmoriniana, which has proved much better able to adapt to the climatic conditions in Europe and North America. This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... An ornamental plant is a plant that is grown for its ornamental qualities, rather than for its commercial or other value. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

The genus Davidia is named after Father Armand David (1826-1900), ("Père David"), a French Franciscan missionary and keen naturalist who lived in China, and who is also commemorated in the Chinese White Pine Pinus armandii and Père David's Deer. He was also the first westerner to describe another rare Chinese endemic, the Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Father Armand David (September 27, 1826 near Bayonne –November 10, 1900 in Paris) was a Lazarist missionary Catholic priest as well as a zoologist and a botanist. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Binomial name Pinus armandii Franch. ... Binomial name Elaphurus davidianus Milne-Edwards, 1866 Père Davids deer (Elaphurus davidianus, other names: Cerf du Père David, Ciervo del Padre David, and Milu in Chinese (麋鹿)), is a species of deer known only in captivity. ... Binomial name Ailuropoda melanoleuca (David, 1869) Giant Panda range Subspecies A. melanoleuca melanoleuca A. melanoleuca qinlingensis The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) (black-and-white cat-foot) is a mammal classified in the bear family, Ursidae, native to central-western and southwestern China. ...

The Dove tree is also known as the Pocket Handkerchief Tree because the white bracts appear as a folded handkerchief around flower heads.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Davidia involucrata

• Davidia involucrata fact sheet includes pictures of leaves and fruit.