Sassafras tzumu
Sassafras tzumu is a species of Sassafras native to China, in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Yunnan and Zhejiang. It grows in either sparse or dense forests habitat types, at altitudes of.
Description
Sassafras tzumu is a deciduous tree reaching heights of up to. The longitudinally fissured wood is colored yellow-green, but changes to gray or brown when the plant is mature. The branching is sympodial. The leaves are alternate, gray-green, ovate or obovate, 9–18 cm long and 6–10 cm broad with 2-7 centimeter, slender, reddish petioles. Leaves may be two-lobed or three-lobed. Flowers are yellow and about 4 millimeters with blue-black and white waxy fruit. One historical source reports trees of up to, although this is not corroborated by modern sources.Sassafras tzumu and Sassafras randaiense differ from the North American species in that they may have both male flowers with 3 staminodes and 1 rudimentary pistil, and female flowers with 12 staminodes on the same tree, while the North American species are dioecious. Molecular data also supports some differences between the Chinese and North American species. Like those of Sassafras albidum, Sassafras tzumu's leaves may have 2 or 3 lobes, although leaves with 3 lobes occur more frequently in S. tzumu while they are possible but rare in S. albidum.