Eucommia ulmoides

Oliver

Hooker's Icon. Pl. 20: plate 1950. 1890.

Common names: Hardy rubber-tree
IntroducedIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 547.

Trees to 20 m; bark gray-brown, ridged and furrowed; branchlets brown, hairy when young, becoming glabrate, pith septate. Leaves: petioles 1–2.5 cm; blades elliptical to ovate, 5–20 × 2.5–8 cm, base usually truncate to broadly cordate or cuneate, sometimes oblique, apex acuminate, surfaces hairy when young, soon glabrate; latex strands visible in carefully torn leaf. Staminate flowers: anthers 10–12 mm. Pistillate flowers: pistil 10–12 mm. Samaras brown, 25–32 mm, apex emarginate. Seeds 12–15 × 3 mm. 2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering (Mar–)Apr.
Habitat: Disturbed woods, fence rows.
Elevation: 200–300 m.

Distribution

V12 450-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Ind., N.Y., Ohio, Asia (China)

Discussion

Eucommia ulmoides, first reported as an escape in North America by M. A. Vincent (2002), has been put to many uses, including lumber, firewood, and a medicinal tonic (duzhong or tu-chung) made from the bark (T. Forrest 1995; D. J. Mabberley 2008; C. S. Sargent 1913–1917). Leaf and stem extracts have been shown to have potential medicinal value (H. J. Jeon et al. 1998; Y. Li et al. 1998; K. Metori et al. 1997, 1998; T. Nakamura et al. 1997; Y. Nakazawa et al. 1997). Eucommia ulmoides contains a latex (gutta-percha) that has been used in China for lining oil pipelines, insulating electrical lines, and filling teeth (Mabberley).

Eucommia ulmoides is sometimes used as a street or lawn tree. It is drought resistant, disease-free, and easily propagated by seed or cuttings; it is hardy in USDA Zones 4–7 (M. A. Dirr 1990; A. J. Rehder 1940).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Eucommia ulmoides"
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
acuminate +
Michael A. Vincent +
Oliver +
gray-brown +
usually truncate;broadly cordate or cuneate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
pinnate +  and serrate +
elliptical;ovate +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
glabrate +  and hairy +
Hardy rubber-tree +
Ind. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +  and Asia (China) +
200–300 m. +
pistillate +  and staminate +
Disturbed woods, fence rows. +
apical +  and superior +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Flowering (Mar–)Apr. +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
Hooker's Icon. Pl. +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
elongate-oblong +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
reflexed-spreading +
decurrent +
glabrate +  and hairy +
Eucommia ulmoides +
Eucommia +
species +