Sapium sebiferum （L.） Roxb. (Chinese tallow tree)

Family Euphorbiaceae

A deciduous tree with taperd-end leaves somewhat similar to diamond shape, the Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb. (Chinese tallow tree), turning its leaves red in winter, is a red-leaf plant hard to see in plains. The leaves are foodplants for larvae of the Parasa tessellata Moore, which are often spotted in June and July, at which time they crawl on the wooden trail and staircase handrails in Niaosong Wetland Park. The sight often scares faint-hearted visitors. It is monoecious with dioecious flowers, sometimes there are male and female flowers on the same inflorescence, and sometimes on the inflorescence are all male or female flowers. Its fruit is spherical capsules with three inconspicuous edges. When it ripens, the capsules will turn black and crack, exposing the arils of white waxy substance, good for making paints, wax, and soap. Its seeds are excellent for extractign oil.

　　Source of Pictures: Self-shot Pictures