1 Graine d'Arbre aux mouchoirs, Davidia involucrata

Tree with handkerchiefs, involucrata davidia |

Davidia involucrata, also called Tree with handkerchiefs or Tree with pockets, due to its large Bracts white, is a tree of the Family of Nyssaceae Originally from China, today rare or disappeared from most of its original regions1. The plant was collected in 1869 by the French botanist missionary Armand David in Moupine, in the mountain west of Chengdu in China ; It was introduced in France in 1897. The Davidia involucrata is cultivated in many botanical gardens and parks of the temperate regions of the world.

1 "nuts"

Davidia involucrata is a tree reaching 20 M high5. The gray trunk is marked with the age of a few vertical cracks.

Its deciduous foliage gives it a wide conical port. The sheet reminds the leaves of the linden or the mulberry : dark green with prominent ribs. It is carried by a petiole of 4–7 CM. The limmbe is largely oval, 8–15 CM long on 7–12 CM wide, based on roped, with acuminate apex. It is bordered by large sophisticated and muffled teeth below. In the fall, the foliage is adorned with superb colors.

The adult tree has large white bracts which give it its spring interest. TheInflorescence is a Capitula globular of 2 CM in diameter, carried by a peduncle of about 7 CM, surrounded by Two white bracts of unequal size, the largest of 16–20 CM long. The flowers are male, female or hermaphrodites, of unequal sizes. Often they are all male in an inflorescence. In the middle of male flowers can be a female or hermaphrodite flower3. The male flower is without chalice or petals, at 1–7 stamens, from 6–8 mm long, to anthers oval, violets ; The female or bisexed flower is with lower ovary, 6–10 locules1.

Flowering takes place in April-May.

The fruit is a Drupe globular, from 2 cm in diameter, green then brown at maturity, containing 3–5 Seeds. The fruiting is spread from May to June.

Its multiplication is possible by cutting of the eyes in October then under muffled shelter or dry wood cuttings in winter.

Otherwise, sowing also works, placing the whole fruit and maturity in a mixture of compost and pot in a potted chassis or even directly in the ground. You have to wait until the spring of the second year that it germinates.

Quite slow growth, its flowering only occurs several years after its plantation (15 to 20 years of age).

It prefers a fairly deep and not too compact soil, neither too dry, nor too soaked, in the sun or mid-shade in a place protected from cold winds. The limestone does not pose a problem for him. It is rustic, at least up to -15 ° C. It naturally takes a beautiful form. If necessary, by size, the driving aid of a main trunk is possible (height up to 15 M). We do not know any diseases, pest insects, nor toxicity.

Contents subject to the CC-BY-SA license 3.0. Source : Article Davidia involucrata by Wikipedia in French (Authors)