| Sub-tropical
broad-leaved forest belt: areas below 500 meters in northern
Taiwan and below 700 meters in southern Taiwan |
| Semecarpus gigantifolia (Vidal.) |
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| Profile |
| Scientific
name: |
Semecarpus gigantifolia
(Vidal.) |
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| Features: |
Semecarpus
gigantifolia have large leaves and seeds that are ellipsoid,
compressed, and about 2cm in diameter. The seeds sit in a
swollen receptacle on the plant's large hypocarp, which turns
red when mature. The flowers of the Semecarpus gigantifolia
bloom in the autumn, and their fruits mature the following
spring, turning red or purplish-black when ripe. Their fleshy
hypocarp is also edible. However, their bark contains poisonous
sap, which is used by the aborigines to make black paint. |
| Habitat:
|
Semecarpus
gigantifolia are broad-leaved evergreen plants endemic
to Taiwan found primarily in Hualien, Taitung, the Hengchun
Peninsula, and the seashores of Orchid Island. |
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