Aphananthe aspera

Aphananthe aspera, commonly known as scabrous aphananthe^[2] or muku tree,^[1] is a flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae. It is found on slopes and stream banks between 100 and 1600 m. It is native to China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.^[3]

Aphananthe aspera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Cannabaceae
Genus:	Aphananthe
Species:	A. aspera
Binomial name
Aphananthe aspera (Thunb.) Planch.[1]
Synonyms[1]
Homoioceltis aspera (Thunb.) Blume Prunus aspera Thunb.

Uses

It is used as an ornamental plant in Chinese classical gardens. Aphananthe aspera is a source of fibre and wood, and has been used for making paper. Leaves gathered in autumn are used as a fine sandpaper for polishing wood and similar materials.^[4][5][6] It is not clear from the sources referred to, whether the effectiveness of the leaves as sandpaper depends on their roughness, or whether they contain abrasive phytoliths.

References

1. "Aphananthe aspera". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
2. English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 355. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2016 – via Korea Forest Service.
3. "Aphananthe aspera". Flora of China. Retrieved 20 June 2017 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
4. "The Forestry Exhibition" (PDF). Nature. 30 (771): 337–8. August 7, 1884. Bibcode:1884Natur..30..337.. doi:10.1038/030337a0. S2CID 4126298. The polishing of rough surfaces appears to be effected by the rough leaves of Aphananthe aspera and the stems of a species of Equisetum.
5. "Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square". Archived from the original on 2012-03-23.
6. "Aphananthe aspera PFAF Plant Database".

Media related to Aphananthe aspera at Wikimedia Commons

Data related to Aphananthe aspera at Wikispecies