Phylum: Angiosperm phylum
Category: Dicotyledonous plants
Objective: Leguminosae
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Sophora flavescens
A new species of Phoma from Japan.
Sophora japonica originated in China, and it is also called "Sophora japonica" to distinguish it from Robinia pseudoacacia originated in North America. Distributed in all parts of China, the trees are tall, light-loving, deep-rooted and fast-growing, but unlike other leguminous plants, there are no rhizobia in the roots. Recently, a single subgenus "Styphnolobium" was isolated from the perspective of molecular biology.
Distribution of origin:
It is native to northern China, northern Liaoning, southern Guangdong Taiwan Province Province, eastern Gansu and Sichuan Yunnan.
Morphological characteristics:
Deciduous tree, up to 20 meters high, with spherical crown. Bark is grayish black and longitudinally cracked. Branchlets are green, smooth and have obvious yellow-brown lenticels. Odd-pinnate compound leaves, opposite leaflets, 7 ~ 17, ovoid or ovoid, sharp apex, rounded to broad wedge-shaped base, white powder on the back, pilose, entire. Flowering from June to August, with pale yellow flowers and panicles. The pod is fleshy, and the fruit 10 month matures, and will not fall off for a long time after ripening.
Growing habits:
Like light, slightly resistant to shade, cold-resistant, not resistant to moisture. Drought-tolerant, barren, fertile and deep sandy loam with good drainage, mild saline-alkali soil. Strong resistance to dust, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride. Deep roots, developed roots and strong germination.
Garden use:
Sophora japonica is a good shade tree and street tree with broad crown, dense branches and leaves, long life and resistance to urban environment. Because of its strong tolerance to tobacco poison, it is also a good greening tree species in factories and mining areas. Rich nectar source is an important nectar source tree species in summer. Sophora japonica is one of the traditional tree species in China's landscaping, which is rich in national characteristics and emotional appeal. It is often used in pairs in front of planting doors or courtyards, and should be planted in front of buildings or on the edge of lawns.
Breeding and cultivation:
Generally, it is propagated by sowing. Sophora japonica is a typical tree species commonly used in Chinese gardens. Traditionally, branch grafting was adopted, and then it was changed to square bud grafting. Dormant buds are the best scions. From late April to mid-May, the dormant buds on the branches of Sophora japonica last year were used as scions and grafted on the new branches of 1 ~ 2 years old. In addition, budding can also be carried out in early and middle July with new buds of that year.
Sophora japonica originated in China, and it is also called "Sophora japonica" to distinguish it from Robinia pseudoacacia originated in North America. Distributed in all parts of China, the trees are tall, light-loving, deep-rooted and fast-growing, but unlike other leguminous plants, there are no rhizobia in the roots. Recently, a single subgenus "Styphnolobium" was isolated from the perspective of molecular biology.
Sophora japonica is a good street tree, shaded by thick shade. Its pinnate compound leaves are similar to those of Robinia pseudoacacia, but its leaves are translucent. Sophora japonica is light yellow and can be used as dye or traditional Chinese medicine. Its pods are also different from other leguminous plants. They are gelatinous and contract into beads between seeds, commonly known as "Sophora japonica", which is also a kind of Chinese medicine. Flowering in late summer, it is different from other tree species and is an important nectar source plant.
Sophora japonica is hard and elastic. It was once the main wood for making livestock carts, and it can also be used for shipbuilding.
There is also a horticultural variety, Sophora japonica, with drooping branches and small trees. It is a good tree species to decorate the landscape. Recently, a kind of Sophora japonica with pink flowers was cultivated.
Sophora japonica is widely planted in China, and there are big Sophora japonica trees everywhere in rural areas. The most famous locust tree is the big locust tree in Hongdong County, Shanxi Province. Because Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty moved to Beijing, Hebei was vast and sparsely populated at that time. Relatively wealthy Shanxi immigrants forced them to immigrate to Hebei, and the immigrants gathered in Hongdong, so the immigrants who could not leave their hometown collected more seeds and branches of the big locust tree and planted them in their new homes. So now there is a folk proverb in Hebei, Shandong and Northeast China called "Ask me where my hometown is, the locust tree in Hongdong, Shanxi".