Heteropanax fragrans is an evergreen tree in the ginseng family that grows wild in South and Southeast Asia and southern China. Its leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of the Eri silkmoth. It is not native to the United States.
Appearance
- Growth form
- An evergreen tree with a slender gray trunk. Wild trees in Laos have been recorded at about 26–33 ft (8–10 m) tall.
- Leaves
- Very large leaves divided again and again into many leaflets, up to about 5 ft (1.5 m) long on wild trees.
- Flowers
- Small flowers in rounded, umbrella-like clusters; they are recorded as yellow, or green with a yellow center.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Tropical and subtropical forests
- Range
- Native from India (including Assam), Nepal, and Bangladesh through Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam to southern China (including Hainan). It does not grow wild in the US.
- Preferred conditions
- Chinese sources say it grows in forests at about 1,000–3,300 ft (300–1,000 m).
Name and classification
- About the name
- In Assam it is called Keseru.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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