Aphananthe aspera (English: Muku Tree (from Japanese); Japanese: muku-no-ki "muku tree"; Chinese: ) is a flowering plant. It is found on slopes and stream banks between 100 and 1600 m. It is native to the Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang provinces of China, and Taiwan. It also is found in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.^[1]

Uses

It is used as an ornamental plant in Chinese classical gardens. Aphananthe aspera is a source of fibre and wood, and has been used for making paper. Leaves gathered in autumn are used as a fine sandpaper for polishing wood and similar materials.^[2]http://kougeihin.jp/en/crafts/introduction/stationary/2960?m=pdhttp://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Aphananthe+aspera It is not clear from the sources referred to, whether the effectiveness of the leaves as sandpaper depends on their roughness, or whether they contain abrasive phytoliths.

Notes

1. ↑ eflora, 2009
2. ↑ Anon, Nature, August 7 1884, pp 337-338

References

External links

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