Machilus chekiangensis
| Chekiang machilus | |
|---|---|
| Tai Po Kau, Hong Kong | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: | Machilus |
| Species: | M. chekiangensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Machilus chekiangensis S.K. Lee
| |
Machilus chekiangensis, commonly known as Chekiang machilus or Zhejiang machilus, is a species of tree native to mainland China and Hong Kong. It originates from Zhejiang, Fujian.[2]
Description
The tree grows 4–10 metres tall and is found in mixed broad-leaved forests.[1] The bark is brown.[3] Its branchlets are smooth and hairless and show notable bud scale scars at the base.[2][3] The leaves are oblanceolate-shaped, with a tapering base, often clustered near the tips of the branchlets. Young leaves are slightly hairy, but become glossy as they mature. The flowers grow in panicles at the base of new shoots. They are yellow-green with six small petals. The fruits are drupes that turns black when matured.[2]
Life cycle
The species flowers in February, and fruits from April to May.[2]
Ecology
The species is considered an soft-wooded, early-successional tree, noted for its rapid growth and preference for high light conditions. Its seeds are mainly dispersed by birds.[4] In Hong Kong, members of the genus Machilus, such as M. chekiangensis, short-flowered machilus (M. breviflora), and many-nerved machilus (M. pauhoi), make up a significant proportion of secondary forests, where their establishment has limited the presence of species less adapted to low-light conditions.[2] The species also tolerates nutrient-poor soils and is capable of persisting under partial shade, traits that contribute to its success.[2]
Despite its adaptability, secondary forests dominated by M. chekiangensis are more vulnerable to severe storms. During Typhoon Mangkhut, strong wind uprooted thousands of trees, and remote sensing analyses recorded extensive canopy damage and biomass loss, particularly in young forests filled with M. chekiangensis and Mallotus paniculatus. Their fast growth and relatively soft wood increase vulnerability to uprooting and breakage. Low species diversity and structural weaknesses further reduce resilience, while recurrent storms tend to reinforce forests in an early successional state, slowing their development into more structurally complex and wind-resistant state.[5]
Uses
Reforestation
Due its fast growth, the species is frequently selected for reforestation projects, including initiatives carried out in 2009–2010. As its seedlings were not readily available on the market, they were propagated at the Tai Tong Nursery in Yuen Long for planting in country parks.[6]
Gallery
References
- ^ a b de Kok, R. (2021). "Machilus chekiangensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021 e.T175596385A175597936. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T175596385A175597936.en.
- ^ a b c d e f Zhang, Allen (2023). 香港100種景觀樹木圖鑑 [A Photographic Guide to 100 Ornamental Trees of Hong Kong] (in Traditional Chinese and English). Hong Kong: 萬里機構. pp. 48–50. ISBN 978-962-14-7487-2.
- ^ a b Flora of China. Vol. 7. pp. 203, 217.
- ^ Hau, Billy CH, and Ken KY So. "17 Using native tree species to restore degraded hillsides in Hong Kong, China." (2003).
- ^ Abbas, Sawaid; Nichol, Janet E.; Fischer, Gunter A.; Wong, Man Sing; Irteza, Syed M. (15 January 2020). "Impact assessment of a super-typhoon on Hong Kong's secondary vegetation and recommendations for restoration of resilience in the forest succession" (PDF). Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 280 107784. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.107784. ISSN 0168-1923.
- ^ "Director's Message" (PDF). Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. 2010. p. 26.