Dipteronia sinensis
Dipteronie ( Dipteronia sinensis)
The Dipteronie ( Dipteronia sinensis ) is a deciduous tree species from the extensive genus of only two species Dipteronien. This genus is now classified in the family of Soapberry ( Sapindaceae ); before it was placed in the family of the maple family ( Aceraceae ). The Dipteronie comes from China and is rather rare in Central Europe in culture.
Description
The Dipteronie grows as a deciduous tree, reaching heights of growth of more than 10 meters; However, in Central Europe it is often shrubby and remains low. The leaves are pinnate and up to about 40 cm long. The 11 to 15 are notched leaflets dark green and coarse. The next leaves the leaf base pair is three-lobed, the other leaves are oblong to elliptical. The leaf stem is dark red. The fresh leaves sprout is also dark red.
The flowers are very small and whitish. You are fünfzählig, with five sepals and petals. Although they are hermaphroditic, but functionally either male or female. The fruits are about 25 cm large loose panicles. The single fruit is surrounded by a nearly circular edge of the wing; it is about 3 times 3 inches tall; the fruit without wings edge is about 5 mm.
The chromosome number is 2n = 18
Distribution and location
The Dipteronie is native to China. It grows in mixed forests or at the edge of the forest at altitudes 1000-2400 meters above sea level in the southeastern Gansu, northern Guizhou, southwestern Henan, western Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, southern Shanxi and eastern Sichuan.
In other parts of the world Dipteronie is mostly to be found in the Botanical Gardens; as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens it is rarely planted.
System
The first description by the English botanist Daniel Oliver was published in 1889.
A synonym is Acer dielsii H.Lév. ; since the species was divided by some botanists even further, there are the following synonyms:
- Dipteronia sinensis var taipeiensis WPFang & MYFang
- Dipteronia sinensis f taipaiensis ( WPFang & MYFang ) AEMurray