Niu-Chang Tree

Niu-Chang Tree

Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata

Place of origin

Taiwan's native, unique species

Distribution

Taiwan's mid to low-elevation forests, mainly found in Taoyuan (Fuxing Town Jiaoban Mountain), Miaoli (Nanzhuang Town, Sanwan Town), Nantou (Zhushan Town, Shuili Town), Kaohsiung City (Liugui District), Hualien, Taitung and other mountainous areas.

苗圃
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Taiwan's native, unique evergreen broad-leaved large tree, can reach up to 30 meters in height, and has a diameter of about 30 centimeters to several meters.
The tree has a straight trunk, with a bark that is brownish-tea in color, it easily branches, and its branches and leaves are dense. It blooms between April and May, and its fruit is flattened round-conical or spherical in shape, about 1.2-1.3 centimeters in diameter, and has a green or black-purple color. It may have fine hair or be hairless.












Features
 The Niu-Chang tree is a native, unique species in Taiwan, and because of its rough and sturdy shape, it is called "Niu-Chang". Niu-Chang seeds are difficult to reproduce, the Forest Research Institute has used tissue culture to rejuvenate old trees and restore growth that has been reported in many reports (Ball 1987, Franclet 1991). Therefore, establishing a micropropagation system is important for the Niu-Chang reforestation. The flowers of the Niu-Chang tree are sticky and insect-pollinated, and it is difficult for the mother tree to be pollinated between trees, and many of them bloom at the top of the tree crown, easily damaged by wind, and occasionally seeds are eaten by birds and animals before they are ripe, so it is extremely difficult to collect. In the natural state, there are also few natural regeneration stands, and occasionally natural seedlings, but also because of the lack of light under the forest, the seeds are not easy to germinate due to the thick dead branches and fallen leaves, and many failed, the reason why it is not easy to find Niu-Chang seedlings under the forest.





Reference: Taiwan Forestry Exhibition Hall, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute