| Styphnolobium japonicum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Styphnolobium japonicum tree | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Styphnolobium |
| Species: | S. japonicum |
| Binomial name | |
| Styphnolobium japonicum | |
| Synonyms | |
Styphnolobium japonicum, theJapanese pagoda tree[3] (also known as theChinese scholar tree andpagoda tree; syn.Sophora japonica) is a species ofdeciduoustree in the subfamilyFaboideae of the pea familyFabaceae.
It was formerly included within a broader interpretation of the genusSophora. The species ofStyphnolobium differ fromSophora in lacking the ability to formsymbioses withrhizobia (nitrogen fixingbacteria) on theirroots. It also differs from the related genusCalia (mescalbeans) in havingdeciduousleaves andflowers in axillary, not terminal,racemes. The leaves are alternate,pinnate, with nine to 21 leaflets, and the flowers in pendulous racemes similar to those of theblack locust.
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Styphnolobium japonicum is native toChina. Despite its Latin name, the species was introduced inJapan and not originally found there. It is a popular ornamental tree inEurope,North America andSouth Africa, grown for its white flowers, borne in late summer after most other flowering trees have long finished flowering. It grows to 10–20 m tall with an equal spread, and produces a fine, dark brown timber.[citation needed]
Despite its name, the Chinese scholar tree was not the official memorial tree of higher officials inZhou dynasty China. The tombs of scholars were instead decorated withKoelreuteria paniculata.[4]
TheGuilty Chinese Scholartree is a historic pagoda tree inBeijing, from which the last emperor of theMing dynasty,Chongzhen, hanged himself in 1644.[5]
S. japonicum (Chinese:槐;pinyin:huái; formerlySophora japonica) is one of the50 fundamental herbs used intraditional Chinese medicine. Its fruits have stress resistance and antioxidant properties.[6]
The flowers and leaves are sometimes used for teas, such as by families in Laoshan Village,Shandong Province, China. It counts as a variety of herbal tea.[citation needed]
The wood is used to make the strong, springy curved "enju wood" handle used on the traditional Japanese woodworking adze, called thechouna.[7][8] Pagoda wood is very hard after drying. This makes pagoda products durable and long lasting. The pagoda tree trunk is generally composed of alternating ridges of light-brown outside layers and gray brown inside layers. This makes wood carving products, for example from the Hokkaido native Ainu people, very decorative. The Ainu are famous for their carvings of the Blakiston's fish owl.
The dried flower buds may contain as much as 20%rutin with somequercetin.[9]S. japonicum dried fruit contains theflavonoidglycosidessophoricoside,genistin andrutin and theflavonoidaglyconesgenistein, quercetin andkaempferol.[10] Another analysis found genistein and genistein glycosides includingsophorabioside,sophoricoside,genistein-7-diglucoside,genistein-7-diglucorhamnoside, and kaempferol and the kaempferolglycosideskaempferol-3-sophoroside andkaempferol-3-rhamnodiglucoside.[9] The fruit also contain the alkaloidscytisine,N-methylcytisine,sophocarpine,matrine andstizolamine.[11] The bark contains the allomatrine alkaloid.[12]
