Scientific Name : Lysidice rhodostegia Hance
Common Name : Lysidice
Chinese Name : 儀花
Family : CAESALPINIACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origins | South-Central and Southeast China, and Vietnam. |
|---|---|
| Application |
Lysidice is a graceful component to parks and gardens in respect of its glamorous blossoms in summer. In addition, the dense foliage renders the tree excellent shading effect. The roots are excavated and dried for multiple medicinal purposes. It tastes bitter and pungent, and is well-known for the promotion of blood circulation, detumescence and hemostasis. Since the roots, stems and leaves of Lysidice are mildly toxic, the prescription for medicines should be dispensed by doctors. |
| Lysidice rhodostegia and L. brevicalyx | Lysidice is morphologically similar to L. brevicalyx. To distinguish the trees, Lysidice’s flowers carry a calyx tube which is much longer than bracteoles, while the calyx tube of L. brevicalyx is long as bracteoles. |
| Old and Valuable Trees (OVTs) | Lysidice rarely grows into a majestic size. In Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, a Lysidice is registered as a OVT (LCSD CW/58, https://ovt.greening.gov.hk/detail.aspx?id=549&m=12), with its towering height at 18 m, diameter at breast height (DBH) at 950 mm, and opening crown spread at 15 m. |
| Growing habit | Shrub or tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 m tall, rarely taller than 10 m. |
| Stem | Bark smooth, greyish brown to yellowish brown. |
| Leaves | Pinnately compound alternate, leaflets 3-5 pairs, opposite. Pulvinus at the proximal end of petiole, petiolule short. Blade long elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, base obtuse, apex caudate to acuminate, entire, lateral veins slender, dense. |
| Flowers | Hermaphroditic. Panicles terminal or axillary. Bracts and bracteoles white to pink ovate-oblong or elliptic. Calyx lobes 4, shorter than calyx tube, light purplish red. Petals 5, only 3 of them notable, dark purplish red, clawed, another 2 small, scale-like. |
| Fruits | Legumes obovate-oblong, compressed, base slightly oblique, sutures unequal in length, 6-10 seeded, from green to brown and dry when mature. Seed brownish red, oblong, compressed. |
| Flowering period | June to August in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | September to November in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website :
https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=8064
Scientific names from other databases :
― Flora of China : Lysidice rhodostegia Hance
― Plant of the World Online : Lysidice rhodostegia Hance