Aphananthe aspera
Aphananthe aspera, commonly known as scabrous aphananthe[2] or muku tree,[1] is a flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae. It is found on slopes and stream banks between 100 and 1600 m. It is native to China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.[3]
Aphananthe aspera | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Cannabaceae |
Genus: | Aphananthe |
Species: | A. aspera |
Binomial name | |
Aphananthe aspera | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Uses
It is used as an ornamental plant in Chinese classical gardens. Aphananthe aspera is a source of fibre and wood, and has been used for making paper. Leaves gathered in autumn are used as a fine sandpaper for polishing wood and similar materials.[4][5][6] It is not clear from the sources referred to, whether the effectiveness of the leaves as sandpaper depends on their roughness, or whether they contain abrasive phytoliths.
References
- "Aphananthe aspera". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 355. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2016 – via Korea Forest Service.
- "Aphananthe aspera". Flora of China. Retrieved 20 June 2017 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- "The Forestry Exhibition" (PDF). Nature. 30 (771): 337–8. August 7, 1884. Bibcode:1884Natur..30..337.. doi:10.1038/030337a0. S2CID 4126298.
The polishing of rough surfaces appears to be effected by the rough leaves of Aphananthe aspera and the stems of a species of Equisetum.
Media related to Aphananthe aspera at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Aphananthe aspera at Wikispecies