Species: Pterospermum acerifolium
English Name: Acer-leaved Wingseedtree
Chinese Name: 翅子樹
Family: Sterculiaceae
Description:
Big trees; bark smooth. Branchlets densely velutinous when young. Stipules linear; petiole robust, striate; leaf blade nearly orbicular or oblong, sometimes ± lobed, 24-34 × 14-29 cm, leathery, abaxially densely yellowish and gray stellate velutinous, adaxially sparsely hairy or glabrous, base cordate, margin entire or crenate, apex truncate, nearly rounded, or pointed; juvenile leaves palmately lobed, peltate. Flowers solitary, fragrant; epicalyx lobes fimbriate or palmately divided. Sepals linear-oblong, ca. 9 × 0.7 cm, abaxially densely yellow-brown stellate velutinous, adaxially white villous. Petals white, linear-oblong, slightly cuneate, slightly shorter than sepals, glabrous. Staminodes clavate, hairy. Ovary oblong, 5-angular; ovules many per locule. Capsule woody, cylindrical, stipitate, obscurely 5-grooved, 10-15 × 5-5.5 cm, reddish brown velutinous, glabrescent, base tapering, apex rounded. Seeds many per locule, obliquely ovate, flat, wing large and thin, brown, smooth.
Photos used under a Creative Commons license
References:
– Wu ZY, Raven PH, Hong DY (eds) (2007). Flora of China, Volume 12: Hippocastanaceae through Theaceae. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Bot Garden Press, St. Louis