|
Quassia Family
The Simaroubaceae, also known as the quassia family, are a small, mostly tropical, family in the order Sapindales. In recent decades, it has been subject to much taxonomic debate, with several small families being split off. A molecular phylogeny of the family was published in 2007, greatly clarifying relationships within the family. Together with chemical characteristics such as the occurrence of petroselinic acid in ''Picrasma'', in contrast to other members of the family such as ''Ailanthus'', this indicates the existence of a subgroup in the family with ''Picrasma'', ''Holacantha'', and ''Castela''. The best-known species is the temperate China, Chinese tree-of-heaven ''Ailanthus altissima'', which has become a cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan weed tree of urban areas and wildlands. Well-known genera in the family include the tropical ''Quassia'' and ''Simarouba''. It is known in English by the common names of the quassia family or ailanthus family. Genera 20 genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ailanthus Altissima
''Ailanthus altissima'' ( ), commonly known as tree of heaven or ailanthus tree, is a deciduous tree in the quassia family. It is native to northeast and central China, and Taiwan. Unlike other members of the genus ''Ailanthus'', it is found in temperate climates rather than the tropics. The tree grows rapidly, and is capable of reaching heights of in 25 years. While the species rarely lives more than 50 years, some specimens exceed 100 years of age. It is considered a noxious weed and vigorous invasive species, and one of the worst invasive plant species in Europe and North America. In 21st-century North America, the invasiveness of the species has been compounded by its role in the life cycle of the also destructive and invasive spotted lanternfly. Description ''Ailanthus altissima'' is a medium-sized tree that reaches heights between with a diameter at breast height of about . The bark (botany), bark is smooth and light grey, often becoming somewhat rougher w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
