Phoebe zhennan

Phoebe zhennan is a large species of tree, up to 30 metres (98 ft) tall, in the genus Phoebe of the family Lauraceae. The name "Zhennan" is the transcription of one of the tree's Chinese names, 桢楠. It is endemic to China where it occurs in Guizhou, Hubei, and Sichuan provinces.[2] The species is threatened by habitat loss, and so is under second-class national protection in China. In the past, wood from this tree, referred to as nanmu in China was so valuable that only royal families could afford their use. Notably, whole logs of Phoebe zhennan wood were used to create pillars for the Forbidden City.

Phoebe zhennan
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Phoebe
Species:
P. zhennan
Binomial name
Phoebe zhennan
S. Lee & F.N. Wei

The wood is particularly valuable when has become semi-fossilized, and is then referred to as 烏木 Wu Mu, or "Black Wood". The price on the 2012 market could be as high as over $10,000 per cubic meter.[3]

References
  1. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). "Phoebe zhennan". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998: e.T32440A9707186. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T32440A9707186.en.
  2. Fa-Nan Wei & Henk van der Werff. "Phoebe zhennan". Flora of China. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  3. "National key protected wild plants (first batch) (original in Chinese)". Nature Reserve of China. 2004-07-10. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.


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