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Japanese Lacquer Tree🍂
Toxicodendron vernicifluum
ウルシ
A deciduous tall tree native to Japan and China. Its sap (lacquer) has been used as the raw material for lacquerware for thousands of years. It contains urushiol, a potent allergen that can cause contact dermatitis.
Identification Points
- ✓Odd-pinnately compound leaves with 7–13 leaflets
- ✓Beautiful autumn color transitioning from yellow to orange to red
- ✓Sap (lacquer) hardens and turns black on exposure to air
Habitat
Mountain forests and near rural settlements (cultivated)
Season
October–November (autumn foliage)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Petal fusion
Fused
Stipules
Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Phylogenetic Positionウルシ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Sapindales > Anacardiaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (ca. 85 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
The sumac family evolved allergenic compounds such as urushiol as a defense against herbivores. Mango and cashew also belong to this family.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification