- Catalpa ovata
-
Catalpa ovata 
Flowers Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Bignoniaceae Genus: Catalpa Species: C. ovata Binomial name Catalpa ovata
G.Don[1][2]Synonyms Catalpa ovata, the yellow catalpa[1][5] or Chinese catalpa[1] (Chinese: 梓; pinyin: zǐ), is a pod-bearing tree native to China. Compared to C. speciosa, it is much smaller, typically reaching heights between 20 and 30 feet. The inflorescences form 4–10-inch-long (100–250 mm) bunches of creamy white flowers with distinctly yellow tinging; individual flowers are about 1 inch wide. They bloom in July and August.[5] The leaves are very similar in shape to those of Paulownia tomentosa, having three lobes (two are abruptly truncated on either edge, with a third, central, slightly acute, pointed lobe forming the leaf apex), and are darkly green.[5][6] Fruits are very narrow, foot-long pods.[5]
Although native to the more temperate provinces within China (Anhui, Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Monggol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang),[1] C. ovata is also cultivated in North America and Europe.[1][5] It is commonly used to make the undersides of qin.[7]
-
Tree in flower in cultivation at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens
-
Leaves and pods
Chemistry
The plant contains dehydro-alpha-lapachone[8] (DAL) which inhibits vessel regeneration, interferes with vessel anastomosis, and limits plexus formation in zebrafish.[9] DAL also controlled the development of the fungi rice blast, tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust, barley powdery mildew and red pepper anthracnose (Colletotrichum coccodes (Wallr) S Hughes). The chemical was particularly effective in suppressing anthracnose.[10]
Sources
- ^ a b c d e Gen. hist. 4:230. 1837 GRIN (January 13, 2009). "Catalpa ovata information from NPGS/GRIN". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?9591. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
- ^ a b Gen. Hist. iv. 230. "Plant Name Details for Catalpa ovata". IPNI. http://www.ipni.org:80/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=109171-1. Retrieved December 7, 2009. "Notes: =Kaempferi"
- ^ Abh. Akad. Muench. iv. III. (1846) 142. "Plant Name Details for Catalpa kaempferi". IPNI. http://www.ipni.org:80/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=109163-1. Retrieved December 7, 2009. "Notes: Japon"
- ^ "Catalpa ovata - G.Don". Plants For A Future. http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Catalpa+ovata. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Phillips, Roger (1978). Trees in Britain, Europe and North America. Cavaye Place, London, England: Pan Books Ltd.. p. 96. ISBN 0 330 25480 4.
- ^ Phillips, Roger (1978). Trees in Britain, Europe and North America. Cavaye Place, London, England: Pan Books Ltd.. p. 42. ISBN 0 330 25480 4.
- ^ Yeung, Juni (2010). Standards for the Guqin February 2010 Draft. Toronto: Toronto Guqin Society.
- ^ Dehydro-alpha-lapachone
- ^ Garkavtsev I, Chauhan VP, Wong HK, Mukhopadhyay A, Glicksman MA, Peterson RT, Jain RK.,"Dehydro-alpha-lapachone, a plant product with antivascular activity." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Jul 12;108(28):11596-601
- ^ Cho, JY; Kim, HY; Choi, GJ; Jang, KS; Lim, HK; Lim, CH; Cho, KY; Kim, JC (2006). "Dehydro-alpha-lapachone isolated from Catalpa ovata stems: Activity against plant pathogenic fungi". Pest management science 62 (5): 414–8. doi:10.1002/ps.1180. PMID 16550502.
External links
Media related to Catalpa ovata at Wikimedia Commons 
Data related to Catalpa ovata at WikispeciesCategories:- Catalpa
- Trees of China
- Flora of Xinjiang
- Plants described in 1837
- Garden plants of Asia
- Ornamental trees
- Lamiales stubs
-
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
