Elaeocarpus sylvestris
Elaeocarpus sylvestris, branch with fruits
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Oxalidales
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Genus: Elaeocarpus
Species:
E. sylvestris
Binomial name
Elaeocarpus sylvestris
(Lour.) Poir. 1811
Subspecies
  • Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. argenteus (Merr.) Y.C. Liu Lign. Pl. Taiwan 375 1972
  • Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. ellipticus H. Hara Japanese: Horutonoki (ja)
  • Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. hayatae (Kaneh. & Sasaki) Y.C. Liu
  • Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. lanyuensis (C.E. Chang) C.E. Chang Fl. Taiwan (ed. 2) 3: 720 1993
  • Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. pachycarpus (Koidz.) H. Ohba J. Jap. Bot. 64: 328 1989
  • Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. viridescens Chun & F.C. How Acta Phytotax. Sin. 7(1): 12 1958
Synonyms
  • Adenodus sylvestris Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 1: 294. 1790
  • Elaeocarpus henryi Hance
  • Elaeocarpus kwangtungensis Hu
  • Elaeocarpus omeiensis Rehder & E. H. Wilson
  • Prunus elliptica Thunb.

Elaeocarpus sylvestris, the woodland elaeocarpus, is a tree species in the genus Elaeocarpus.

Distribution

The woodland elaeocarpus is found in China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam (Indochina).

Description

The tree is up to 15 m and is found in evergreen forests at altitudes comprised between 300 and 2000 m. The evergreen shiny leaves are oblanceolate. The greeny-white flowers are grouped in racemes and are followed by black olive-like fruit in autumn.

Uses

The fruits of the woodland elaeocarpus are edible. The oil from the seeds may be processed into soap or lubricants. The bark may be used as a source for dye. The wood does not resist water, so it is not considered good timber, but it is used for growing shiitake mushrooms.[1]

It is also planted along streets and in parks.

Ecology

The larvae of the moth Leucoblepsis excisa feed on the leaves of E. sylvestris. In urban forests of Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, the Formosan squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus taiwanensis) is a pest to the tree because of its gnawing habit.[2]

Woodland elaeocarpus in susceptible to Elaeocarpus yellows, a disease discovered in 1999[3][4] and a type of Phytoplasma disease, which causes a chlorosis (Japanese: 萎黄病 io-byo)[5] of the plant.[6] Oxytetracycline has been used to fight the pathogen.[4][6]

Chemistry

This species contains the gallotannin 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose, a compound that may be used in radioprotection.[7] It also contains elaeocarpusin, a molecule with a unique acid ester group probably derived by a condensation of a hexahydroxydiphenoyl group and dehydroascorbic acid attached to the 2,4-positions of 1-O-galloyl- 3,6-(R)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-D-glucopyranose (corilagin).[8]

Symbolism

The horutonoki (Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. ellipticus) is the tree symbol of Japanese city Urasoe, Okinawa. Wild Dampalsu trees (Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. ellipticus) in Cheonjiyeon Waterfall are South Korean Natural Monument no. 163.[9]

See also

  • Liothrips horutonoki, a thrips species in the genus Liothrips

References

  1. ↑ Woodland elaeocarpus at taipei-expopark.tw
  2. ↑ Line census and gnawing damage of introduced Formosan squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus taiwanensis) in urban forests of Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Masato Hori, Masao Yamada and Noriyuki Tsunoda, in Koike, F., Clout, M.N., Kawamichi, M., De Poorter, M. and Iwatsuki, K. (eds), Assessment and Control of Biological Invasion Risks. Shoukadoh Book Sellers, Kyoto, Japan and IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, 2006, pages 204-209 (article Archived 2014-03-06 at the Wayback Machine)
  3. ↑ Kawabe, Y; Kusunoki, M; Oono, K (1999). "Elaeocarpus yellows, a new disease of Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. ellipticus caused by phytoplasma in Japan". Jpn J Phytopathol (in Japanese). 65: 654.
  4. 1 2 Tsuda, J. (2006). "Determination of Oxytetracycline in Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. Ellipticus Leaf by High Performance Liquid Chromatography". Journal of the Japanese Forest Society. 88: 46–49. doi:10.4005/jjfs.88.46.
  5. ↑ Elaeocarpus yellows at gene.affrc.go.jp
  6. 1 2 Kawabe, Yuji; et al. "Analysis of oxytetracycline and detection of phytoplasma after the trunk injection of oxytetracycline formulation in Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. ellipticus infected with elaeocarpus yellows". Journal of Tree Health (in Japanese). 15 (3): 97–101.
  7. ↑ Park, Eunjin; Lee, Nam Ho; Baik, Jong Seok; Jee, Youngheun (2008). "Elaeocarpus sylvestris modulates gamma-ray-induced immunosuppression in mice: Implications in radioprotection". Phytotherapy Research. 22 (8): 1046–1051. doi:10.1002/ptr.2430. PMID 18570220. S2CID 44278609.
  8. ↑ Tanaka, Takashi; Nonaka, Gen-Ichiro; Nishioka, Itsuo; Miyahara, Kazumoto; Kawasaki, Toshio (1986). "Tannins and related compounds. Part 37. Isolation and structure elucidation of elaeocarpusin, a novel ellagitannin from Elaeocarpus sylvestris var. Ellipticus". Journal of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 1: 369. doi:10.1039/P19860000369.
  9. ↑ "english.visitkorea.or.kr". Archived from the original on 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
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