Chinese bottle tree
StarFirmiana simplex
Synonyms: Sterculia tomentosa, Sterculia pyriformis, Sterculia firmiana, Firmiana platanifolia f. tomentosa, Firmiana simplex var. glabra, Sterculia platanifolia, Firmiana platanifolia, Sterculia simplex, Sterculia fiorniana, Firmiana platanifolia var. tomentosa, Firmiana chinensis, Clompanus simplex, Caucanthus platanifolia, Culhamia triloba, Culhamia platanifolia, Culhamia simplex, Culhamia hadiensis, Clompanus pyriformis
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Chinese folk medicine and traditional Chinese medicine the various parts of the wutong tree have long been employed. The seeds are regarded as antiphlogistic, expectorant and refrigerant, with a juice from the crushed seeds applied to mouth ulcers in children, while the bark is astringent and prepared as a soothing wash for haemorrhoids and a decoction of the roots used to reduce swellings, carbuncles and sores. A wash made from the leaves and bast fibre has been used in hair care (Useful Tropical Plants; Plants For A Future).
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Botanical Description
Firmiana simplex, the Chinese parasol tree or wutong, is a deciduous tree of the family Malvaceae (formerly Sterculiaceae) native to eastern Asia and widely planted as an ornamental and street tree. It reaches 10 to 20 metres in height, with a straight trunk and characteristically smooth, green bark that persists on older wood. The large, alternate, long-petioled leaves are palmately three- to five-lobed, 15 to 30 centimetres across, giving the crown a bold, tropical appearance. In summer it bears large terminal panicles of small, petalless greenish-yellow flowers; the species is monoecious, with separate male and female flowers in the same inflorescence. The most distinctive feature is the fruit, which splits open long before maturity into five leaf-like, boat-shaped follicles, each bearing several pea-sized seeds along its margins so that the developing seeds are exposed. The pale, wrinkled seeds are edible when roasted. The tree is fast-growing, somewhat short-lived, and naturalises readily in warm-temperate climates.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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