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Glyptostrobus pensilis

Common name:	Chinese Swamp Cypress	Family:	Taxodiaceae
Author:	(Staunton.)Koch.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Taxodium heterophyllum (Brongn.), Glyptostrobus sinensis, Glyptostrobus lineatus (auct. non (Poir.)Druce.), Glyptostrobus heterophyllus (Brongn.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - S.E. China.
Habitat:	River deltas, etc., on flooded or waterlogged soil in full sun near sea level[266]. This species is usually planted and is possibly extinct in the wild[185, 200, 266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Thuja pensilis[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Shui Sung [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	strobus = gum yielding
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Pinales. Redwood family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 10m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from January to March, and the seeds ripen from September to March. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires wet soil and can grow in water.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Pond, Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anodyne Antidote Febrifuge Oxytoxic Skin Women's complaints.

Antidote, oxytocic. Cures ascites, treats animal bites and dropsy of pregnant women[178].
A decoction of the shoots is used in the treatment of fever, hepatitis, skin complaints etc. It is said to be an anodyne for animal bites[218].

Other Uses

Cork Shelterbelt Soil stabilization Wood.

The roots have high buoyancy and are used to make life buoys, bottle corks, etc[266].
Tannins extracted from the bark and the cone scales are used in tanning, dyeing, and fishing nets[266].
Having an extensive root system, it is often planted in wet places for erosion control, to stabilize river banks and paddy field walls[81, 200, 266]. It is also used as a windbreak[266].
Wind-felled trees are used in constructing buildings, bridges and furniture[266].

Cultivation details

Thriving beside water and in damp places, plants require a very damp soil and will prove hardier if they are standing in up to 60cm of water[81, 200]. They prefer growing in areas with hot summers and will die within 2 years if they are planted in a dry site[81].
This species is rarely hardy in Britain[1], plants do not succeed outdoors at Kew[11]. Although said to succeed in zone 8, this species is barely hardy in colder zones without hot humid summers (to ripen the wood) and even then only attains 3 - 4 metres in height[200]. The southern distribution of this species is quite hardy but is sometimes thought to be tender due to its being planted in the wrong site. It must be given a wet soil, preferably standing water[81].
This species is considered to be a symbol of good luck in its native regions and consequently it is not normally deliberately felled by villagers[266].
Slower growing than the vegetatively similar swamp cypress, Taxodium distichum, it is late coming into leaf in the spring and also to lose its leaves in the autumn[81].
Trees occasionally reach 25 metres tall in the wild[11].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold greenhouse in late winter. 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. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.
Cuttings. Again, no details but we would try taking cuttings of mature wood in the late autumn or winter in a frame.

Suppliers

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

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 Glyptostrobus lineatus (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Taxodium heterophyllum (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Taxodiaceae.

[CHINA] 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.

[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X
Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.

[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.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[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
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