蝴蝶树 hu die shu

Tarrietia parvifolia (Merrill) Merrill & Chun.

Evergreen trees, up to 30 m tall; bark gray. Branchlets densely scaly. Petiole 1-1.5 cm; leaf blade elliptic-lanceolate, 6-8 × 1.5-3 cm, abaxially densely silver-white or brown scurfy scaly, adaxially glabrous, lateral veins 6 on each side of midrib, base acute or nearly rounded, apex acuminate. Inflorescence paniculate, densely ferruginous stellate pilose. Calyx white, ca. 4 mm, 5-6-lobed, both surfaces stellate puberulent, lobes oblong-ovate, 1.5-2 mm. Male flower: androgynophore ca. 1 mm, base surrounded by thick disk, ca. 0.8 mm in diam. Anthers 8-10, in 1 ring. Female flowers: ovary ca. 2 mm, hairy. Fruit 4-6 cm, seed-bearing portion 1-2 cm, apical wing fishtail-shaped, ca. 2 cm wide, apex obtuse, densely scurfy scaly; endocarp leathery. Seeds ellipsoid. Fl. May-Jun.

Montane forests. S Hainan [India, Myanmar, Thailand].

Heritiera parvifolia is an important timber tree.