About Idesia polycarpa Maxim.
The genus name Idesia published by Scopoli is a suppressed name, and that name is currently treated under the genus Diospyros. Idesia, the accepted genus, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Salicaceae; it was formerly classified in the family Flacourtiaceae. This genus contains only one species, Idesia polycarpa Maxim. Idesia polycarpa is native to eastern Asia, where it grows in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree that reaches 8 to 21 meters in height, with a trunk that can grow up to 50 cm in diameter and bears smooth greyish-green bark. Its shoots are stout, greyish-brown, and have a thick pith core. The species produces large heart-shaped leaves, which measure 8โ20 cm long and 7โ20 cm broad. Each leaf is attached by a red 4โ30 cm petiole that holds two or more glands. The upper surface of the leaves is dark green, while the lower surface is glaucous, and leaf margins are coarsely serrated. Flowers of Idesia polycarpa are small, yellowish green, and fragrant, and they grow in panicles that are 13โ30 cm long. This species is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate individual trees. Male flowers measure 12โ16 mm in diameter, while female flowers are 9 mm in diameter. The fruit is a 5โ10 mm diameter berry, which ripens to a color ranging from orange to dark purple-red. It contains several brown seeds that are 2โ3 mm long, and the fruit often stays on the tree until the following spring. The fruit of Idesia polycarpa is edible and can be eaten either raw or cooked. The species is sometimes grown as an ornamental tree in other temperate regions, including Europe.
