Description
Liquidambar formosana (scientific name: Liquidambar formosana Hance) is a plant of the Hamameliaceae and Liquidambar genus. Deciduous tree, up to 30 meters in height, up to 1 meter in diameter at breast height, bark gray-brown, square peeling; branchlets gray behind, pilose, slightly lenticels; buds ovoid, about 1 cm long, slightly covered Micro-hair. The leaves are thin and leathery, broadly ovoid, palmately 3-lobed, with longer central lobes, and apex caudately acuminate. Male short spikes are often arranged in races with many stamens. The filaments are not equal in length, and the anthers are slightly shorter than the filaments. The capitate fruit is round globose, woody, 3-4 cm in diameter; the lower part of the capsule is hidden in the inflorescence axis, with persistent style and needle-like calyx teeth. The seeds are mostly brown, polygonal or with narrow wings.
It is distributed in various provinces south of the Qinling Mountains and Huai River in China, starting from Henan and Shandong in the north, Taiwan in the east, Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet in the west, and Guangdong in the south. It is also found in northern Vietnam, Laos and southern Korea. It loves the sun and is mostly born on the flat ground, near villages, and secondary forests in low mountains. It often forms the dominant species of secondary forest in Hainan Island.
The resin is used for medicinal purposes, which can detoxify and relieve pain, stop bleeding and grow muscles; the roots, leaves and fruits are also used as medicine, and have the effects of dispelling wind and dampness, dredging collaterals and promoting blood circulation. The wood is slightly harder and can be used for packing furniture and valuable goods. Liquidambar is also of great significance in environmental protection. It can improve the quality of the land where it grows, ensure that water and soil will not be excessively lost, purify the local air quality, and ensure the stability of the ecological environment. Moreover, the sweetgum tree has strong ornamental properties, and it can also play a role in beautifying the environment in urban planning.
