Description
Platycladus orientalis (scientific name: Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco) is an evergreen tree of the genus Platycladus in the Cupressaceae family. The crown is broadly ovoid, and the branchlets are flattened, arranged in a plane. The leaves are small, scaly, close to the branchlets, arranged in cross-opposition, with glandular grooves in the middle of the back of the leaves. Monoecious, unisexual flowers. The male cone flower is yellow and consists of alternately opposed microspore leaves. Each microspore leaf has 3 pollen sacs, and the bead scales and bract scales are completely healed. The cones were mature in that year, the scales were lignified and cracked, and the seeds had no wings or ridges.
Platycladus orientalis is a specialty of China, and it is distributed all over the country except Qinghai and Xinjiang. The life span is very long, and there are often ancient trees that are hundreds or more than hundreds of years old. It has been selected as the city tree of Beijing.
Platycladus arborvitae is drought-tolerant and is often used as a tree species for afforestation on sunny slopes. It is also a common garden tree species. The wood can be used as materials for construction and furniture. The leaves and branches are used as medicine. Effect
