Pterostyrax corymbosa
Epaulette Tree
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Pterostyrax genus in the family Styracaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Styracaceae
- Genus
- Pterostyrax
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- deciduous
- Woodiness
- woody
- Growth rate
- vigorous
- Height
- 12 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves - cooked. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails[3].
- Plant part
- Leaves
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Canopy
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - China, Japan.
- Habitat
- Thickets around 1300 metres in Kiangsi[2]. Damp shaded areas along streams in forests at elevations of 400 - 1600 metres[5].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 6+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- very acid, acid, neutral
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification at 5°c[4]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in the late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[4]. Layering[4].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a good loamy soil and a sunny position[1]. Requires a deep acid soil in sun or semi-shade[4]. A fast-growing tree[4]. Often confused with P. hispida[1]. Flowers are most abundantly produced on wood that was well-ripened the previous summer[4]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[4].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.
Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/