|
"Ao-moji" (Litsea cubeba) belongs to Lauraceae (the Laurel family). It is a semi-tall deciduous tree that is distributed in Okayama and Yamaguchi Prefecture of Honshu, Kyushu, the Southwest Islands in Japan, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and India. However, it was introduced in cut flower production etc., and also escaped to the surrounding area. This tree grows in warm temperature forests and can reach 5-7 m in height. The barks are greenish black, and the leaves are ovate-oblong, alternate. The white flowers come in February to March before foliation. In Taiwanese Mandarin, "山胡椒".
|