Orixa japonica

Flower name
Orixa japonica
Scientific name
Orixa japonica
Alias小臭木
Place of originJapan and China
Place of floweringLow mountains
Flowering seasonApril, May

What is Orixa japonica

Orixa japonica (scientific name: Orixa japonica) is a deciduous shrub in the genus Orixa of the family　Rutaceae, native to Japan and China. In Japan, it grows wild under forests in the mountains of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The tree is 1 to 3 m tall and has grayish-brown bark. The leaves are glossy green, 5-12 cm long, 6 cm wide, and ovate. It is dioecious, and the male flowers are yellow-green, 2-5 cm long, and 0.7-1 cm in diameter, and the inflorescences are produced from April to May. Male flowers are borne in racemes of up to 10 flowers. The female flowers are unisexual, with a single flower. After flowering, the capsule bears four divided fruits. The name of the flower comes from the peculiar odor of its branches and leaves. Since it is a member of the mandarin family, it is a food plant for the mountain crow swallowtail butterfly (scientific name: Papilio maackii).

Generic name: Orixa japonica, Scientific name: Orixa japonica, aka: kokusagi, tree height: 1-3 m, bark color: gray-brown, leafy : Glossy, Leaf color: Green, Bark color: grayish brown, Leaf texture: glossy, Leaf color: green, Phyllotaxy: alternate, leaf shape: ovate, leaf margin: entire, Leaf length: 5 to Flowering season: April to May; Flower diameter: 0.7 to 1 cm; Number of petals in female flowers: 4; Number of sepals in female flowers: 4; Number of cotyledons in female flowers: 4; Number of stamens in female flowers: 0; Number of stamens in male flowers: 4; Fruiting season: September to November; Fruit type: capsule, divided into 4 pieces.