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Distylium racemosum

Common name:	Isu Tree	Family:	Hamamelidaceae
Author:	Siebold.& Zucc.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 266
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat:	Evergreen oak forests. Forests at elevations of 1000 - 1300 metres in Fujian, Hainan, Taiwan and Zhejiang Provinces of China[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	racemosum = with racemes
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Hamamelidales. Witch-hazel family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 2m by 3m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to April, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Porcelain Wood.

The ashes of the wood are used in glazing porcelain[46, 61].
Wood - hard, fine-grained, dark brown. A very valuable wood, it is used for small articles, musical instruments etc[11, 46, 61].

Cultivation details

Prefers a sandy soil[1]. A lime tolerant plant, but it prefers a neutral to acid moist humus-rich soil[130, 182]. It prefers to grow under a light woodland canopy[130, 200].
Plants are hardy at Kew[11] but they grow better in the milder areas of Britain[1]. They rarely exceed 2 metres in height in cultivation and are slow growing[11].
The dormant plant is fairly cold-tolerant, but the young growth in spring is subject to damage by late frosts[130].

Propagation

Seed - can be sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed may require 2 - 3 months cold stratification and is best sown as soon as possible in a cold frame[175]. Germination takes 2 - 3 months or more at 15° c[175]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half ripe wood, July/August in a frame[130].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth in a frame[113].
Layering in September/October of current years growth if possible. If this is not available then use the previous years growth. Takes 18 months. Good percentage[78].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

PFAF Species Database Bibliography

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Hamamelidaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[130] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983. Royal Horticultural Society 1982
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants, including Distylium racemosum and some perennial members of the family Berberidaceae.

[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
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