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Katsura-tree family
Cercidiphyllaceae
カツラ科
A monotypic family consisting of 1 genus and 2 species (Cercidiphyllum japonicum and C. magnificum). Deciduous trees distributed in Japan and China. Famous for the sweet fragrance (maltol) emitted by autumn fallen leaves. An ancient lineage formerly widespread across the Northern Hemisphere during the Cretaceous.
Key Characteristics
- ●Leaves heart-shaped (cordate), opposite
- ●Fallen leaves emit a sweet caramel-like fragrance (maltol)
- ●Flowers unisexual, apetalous (wind-pollinated)
- ●Bark fissured longitudinally into fibrous strips
- ●Large deciduous trees
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate / Opposite
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Palmate
Leaf margin
Serrate / Crenate
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Stipules
Present
Petal fusion
Free
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Dioecious
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Saxifragales > Cercidiphyllaceae
Divergence Era
Early to Middle Cretaceous (approx. 100 million years ago)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Retreat from a widespread Northern Hemisphere distribution in the Tertiary to an East Asian endemic
- ・Evolution toward wind pollination with loss of petals
Plants in Katsura-tree family on this site
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