Archidendron lucidum
Distribution: Native to Taiwan. Its distribution includes India, Mainland Southeast Asia, southern China, and the Ryukyu Islands. It grows throughout Taiwan’s low-lying mountains.
Morphology: Small evergreen tree or shrub. The twigs, petioles, and inflorescences are covered in short brown hairs. The leaves are bipinnately compound, 2-4 pairs of pinnae; 3-5 pairs of leaflets, opposite or alternate, oblong, 6-9 cm, apex is acute or caudate. The flowers are white or yellow, mostly in capitula that merge to form panicles. The pods are leathery, 15-20 cm, curled into rings, 2-3 cm wide, reddish brown, dehiscent when mature. There are several seeds that are ovate, about 1.5 cm in length, black with white powdery substance. Once the pods dehisce, the seeds remain attached to the edges of the pod via a thread-like stalk.
Uses: The wood can be used as firewood. The branches and leaves have medicinal purposes. The pods are toxic and the bark is made up of 22.2% tannins. It is used as a shade tree or greening tree, and is ornamental.
