CLADRASTIS Rafinesque, Cincinnati Lit. Gaz. 1(8): 60. 1824. [Draft]

香槐属  xiang huai shu

Trees, deciduous, rarely woody lianas; bud enclosed within the inflated base of the petiole. Leaves imparipinnate; leaflets alternate or subopposite, membranous, entire; stipels present or absent; stipules absent. Paniculate racemes terminal; bracts and bracteoles caducous. Corolla white [pink]; petals subequal; calyx campanulate, lobes 5. Stamens 10, free; filaments distinct or slightly joined at the base; anthers versatile. Ovary linear-lanceolate, short stalked; style incurved; stigmas small; ovules few to many. Pod compressed, winged or not, tardily dehiscent; seeds 1 to many.

Eight species: SE Asia and E North America; six species (5 endemic) in China.

See Duley and Vincent, A synopsis of the genus Cladrastis (Leguminosae) (Rhodora 105: 205–239. 2003).

1a.       Leaflets dark green adaxially, paler abaxially; stipels and bracteoles absent; pods wingless.

2a.       Leaflets ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, broadest near the rounded base; flowers  < 1.5 cm; ovary pilose ............................................................................................................  2. C. delavayi

2b.       Leaflets ovate or oblong-ovate, broadest at or above the middle, base acute; flowers ca. 2 cm; ovary densely sericeous ............................................................................................  6. C. wilsonii

1b.       Leaflets concolorous, stipels present; bracteoles usually caducous; pod margins winged.

3a.       Leaflets small, less than 3 cm, nearly membranous; panicle less than 10 cm
...................................................................................................................  3. C. parvifolia

3b.       Leaflets large, over 3 cm, papery; panicle 15–20 cm.

4a.       Trees; wings and keels bigger than flag, wings triangular-ovate, 5 mm broad

            5a. Stipels simple, subulate, one on each side of pulvinus; fruit apex and base

                  acute; leaflets typically 11 or more...................................................... 4. C. platycarpa

            5b. Stipels branched and/or 2 or more on each side of pulvinus; fruit apex and

                  base rounded; leaflets typically 9 or fewer ................................................  1. C. chingii

4b.       Wooden lianas or climbing shrubs; wings and keels smaller than flag, wings sagittate, less than 3 mm in broad ........................................................................................................  5. C. scandens

1. Cladrastis chingii Duley & Vincent, Rhodora 105: 217–218. 2003.

秦氏香槐 qin shi xiang huai

Trees, to 13 m high; bark gray or gray-brown, smooth, lenticellate. Leaves odd-pinnately compound; leaflets 9 or fewer, somewhat leathery, alternate, ovate to elliptical, 3.9–7.8 × 1.2–3.5 cm, acute-acuminate at apex, rounded to broadly cuneate at the base, yellow-green and glabrous adaxially, glabrous to sparsly white-pilose along main vein abaxially, veins raised on both surfaces; petiolule 3–5 mm, white hairy when young, then glabrous; stipels 1–2 or more on each side of pulvinus, simple or branched. Panicle terminal, to 30 cm, erect; bracteoles caducous; calyx campanulate, 4.5–4.8 mm, 5 toothed, rusty-brown tomentose. Corolla white; flag elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 5.6 × 5.1 mm, rounded at apex, claw 1.5 mm; wings sagittate, 6 × 3.4 mm, obtuse at apex, auriculate at the base; keels lanceolate, 6 × 3.4 mm, auriculate at the base. Ovary sessile, densely white sericeous, ovules 3–6; style slightly curved, glabrous. Pods oblong, flat, 6–8 cm, rounded to acute at apex, winged, with 1–3 seeds. Fl. Apr–May, fr. June–Aug.

* Hill forests. Guangxi, Hunan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

2. Cladrastis delavayi (Franch.) Prain, Ann. Roy Bot. Gard. (Calcutta) 10(1): 109. 1904. 

小花香槐  xiao hua xiang huai

Dalbergia delavayi Franch., Pl. Delav. (1): 186. 1888.

Cladrastis sinensis Hemsl., Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 29: 304. 1892.

Trees, to 20 m high; young branches gray-brown hairy. Leaves imparipinnate, to 20 cm; leaflets 9–13, alternate, ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 3.9–11.3 × 1.7–3.8 cm, acuminate or obtuse at apex, obtuse or slightly cordate at the base, dark green and glabrous adaxially, gray-white hairy abaxially, veins obviously raised abaxially with obvious veinlets; petiolule 1–3 mm; stipels absent. Panicle terminal 12–30 cm; bracts caducous; calyx campanulate, 4.6–6.9 mm, 5 semiorbicular toothed, densely white–rusty-brown pubescent. Corolla white or light yellow, rarely pink; flag obovate or rotund, 6.4-14.4 mm, retuse at apex, narrowing to claw at the base, claw 0.6–3.2 mm; wings sagittate, 6.4–9.6 mm, claw 2.1–4 mm; keels lanceolate, 6.2–10.5 mm, auriculate at the base. Ovary linear, light yellow pilose, 6–10-ovuled. Pods flat, elliptic or long elliptic, wingless, 3–8 × 1–2 cm, with 1–3(–5) seeds. Seeds ovoid, compressed, brown, ca. 4 × 2 mm. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Aug–Oct.

* Warm hill forests. 1000–2500 m. Fujian, Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan.

3. Cladrastis parvifolia C. Y. Ma, Bull. Bot. Res. 2: 110. 1982.

小叶香槐  xiao ye xiang huai

Trees; bark gray-white or brown, lenticellate; young branches green, glabrous. Leaves imparipinnate, 10–15 cm; petiole gray-brown pilose; leaflets 3–4 paired, membranous, ovate, 2–4 × 2 cm, acuminate at apex, obtuse at the base, pilose along veins abaxially; veins obviously raised abaxially with obvious- veinlets; petiolule ca. 4 mm, brown pubescent; stipel subulate, glabrous. Panicle terminal; rachis slender, 5–10 cm, gray-brown hairy. Flowers ca. 7 mm; pedicel short, ca. 4 mm, pubescent; calyx cup-shaped, with 2 caducous bracts at the base, 5 unequally toothed, hairy. Corolla white; flag oblong, ca. 7 × 3.5 mm, rounded at apex, narrowing to claw at the base, claw ca. 1.5 mm; wings ovate-oblong, claw ca. 2 mm, keels similar to wings. Ovary densely gray-white sericeous; style erect. Pods narrowly winged on both sides, pilose. Fl Oct.

* Guangxi; doubtfully a species of Cladrastis (Duley & Vincent 2003).

4. Cladrastis platycarpa (Maxim.) Makino, Bot. Mag. Tokyo 15: 62. 1901.

翅荚香槐  chi jia xiang huai

Sophora platycarpa Maxim., Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb. 18: 398. 1873; Platyosprion platycarpum Maxim., Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb. 22: 263. 1877.

Cladrastis yungchunii Xiang-W. Li & G.S. Fan, Bull. Bot. Res. Harbin 14(4): 347. 1994.

Trees, to 30 m high, 80–120 cm in diam.; bark dark gray, many lenticellate; Leaves odd-pinnately compound; leaflets (7--) 13 (--15), long elliptic or ovate-oblong, smaller toward base, 2–10 × 1–3.5 cm, acuminate at apex, obtuse or broadly cuneate at the base, glabrous adaxially, pilose near midrib or glabrous abaxially; veins obviously raised abaxially with obviously veinlets; petiolule 3–5 mm, densely gray-brown hairy; stipels single on either side of the puvinus, unbranched, subulate, to 2 mm, glabrous. Panicle 9--30 cm, to 15 cm in diam.; pedicel slender, 7--11 mm; calyx campanulate, densely white--yellow sericeous, 5 triangularly toothed. Corolla white, yellow spot in throat; flag oblong, 5.3–8.2 × 5.3–8.6 mm, rounded or retuse at apex, claw 1.2--4.8 mm,; wings lanceolate-ovate, 5.9–9.3 × 3.2–5.4 mm, slightly auriculate, claw 2.9–5.1 mm; keels lanceolate, 6.4–9.9 × 3.5–5.9 mm, base auriculate; Ovary linear, yellow-white pubescent; style slightly curved, 5–7-ovuled. Pods long elliptic or oblong, 5–8 cm × 1.5–2 cm, winged on both sides, indehiscent, with 1–3 seeds. Seeds oblong, ca. 8 mm, dark brown or black. Fl. Apr–Jun, fr. Jul–Oct.

* Forests in valleys and on slopes; below 1000 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan].

5. Cladrastis scandens C. Y. Ma, Bull. Bot. Res. 2: 111. 1982.

藤香槐  teng xiang huai

Lianas or climbing shrubs; stem lenticellate. Leaves imparipinnate; leaflets 4 paired, papery, alternate, elliptic or oblong, terminal one bigger ca. 9 × 6 cm, smaller toward lower, usually 3–6 × 2–4 cm, rounded or acute at apex, obtuse at the base, glabrous, veins obviously raised abaxially and obviously veinlets; petiolule ca. 2 mm, glabrous; stipel subulate, glabrous. Panicle terminal and large; pedicel 6–8 mm, brown-gray pubescent; calyx cup-shaped, 5 equally triangular toothed, hairy. Corolla white; flag oblong, rounded at apex, narrowing to claw at the base, claw ca. 3 mm; wings triangular-ovate, claw ca. 4 mm; keels similar to wings, slightly broad, ca. 3.5 mm, one auriculate at the base. Ovary linear, white pilose, 6–8-ovuled; style slightly curved; stigma very small.

* Hill scrub; ca. 1200 m. Guizhou; perhaps not a species of Cladrastis (Duley & Vincent 2003).

6. Cladrastis wilsonii Takeda, Not. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 8: 103. 1913.

香槐  xiang huai

Cladrastis lichuanensis Q.W. Yao & G.G. Tung, Bull. Bot. Res. Harbin 8(3): 157. 1988.

Trees, to 16 m high; bark gray or gray-brown, smooth, lenticellate. Leaves odd-pinnately compound; leaflets 8--11, papery, alternate, ovate or oblong-ovate, terminal one bigger, usually 3.5–14.3 × 1.8–6.5 cm, acute at apex, broadly cuneate at the base, dark green and glabrous adaxially, golden pilose along main vein abaxially, veins raised on both surfaces; petiolule 4–5 mm, white hairy when young, then glabrous; stipels absent. Panicle terminal or axillary, 10–28 cm.; bracts caducous; calyx campanulate, 7.2--8 mm, 5 triangular toothed, yellow-brown tomentose. Corolla white; flag elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 9.3–15.2 × 9–13 mm, rounded or retuse at apex, claw 2.3–51 mm; wings sagittate, 9.3–14.4 mm, obtuse at apex, auriculate at the base; keels falcate, 8.8–14.9 × 4.8–7.2 mm, auriculate at the base. Ovary sessile, densely yellow-white sericeous, ovules (1--) 3--5; style slightly curved, glabrous. Pods oblong, flat, 4.5–8 × 0.8–1 cm, beaked at apex, wingless, with 1–5 seeds. Seeds kidney, gray-brown. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Aug–Sep.

* Hill forests; 1000–1500 m. Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.