Profile
Scientific name:	Machilus japonica sieb. & zucc. var. kusanoi (Hayata) Liao
Common names:	wild machilus, small machilus

Features:

Machilus japonicas are large evergreen trees with big, leathery leaves and buds that contain rosy bracts during the spring. Their new leaves start off a pale, purplish-green, turn red in the spring, and then turn dark green when they become old. Their trunks are tall and towering, and their bark contains a rich, sticky sap that can be used to make slender sticks of incense. The Machilus japonica has a small perianth without sepals, and their drupes-which contain globose seeds-are purplish-black when ripe. A hardy tree, they are capable of enduring excessive moisture and high temperatures, and their appearance within a grove or belt usually signifies that the forest in which they are located has reached a mature stage. Fruit from the trees usually ripens between July and November, and are a favorite food for squirrels.

Habitat:

The Machilus japonica is one of the most important broad-leaved trees in Taiwan and can be found at low and middle altitudes in wetlands and valleys containing streams.