| Chosenia arbutifolia | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Salicaceae |
| Tribe: | Saliceae[1] |
| Genus: | Chosenia Nakai |
| Species: | C. arbutifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Chosenia arbutifolia (Pall.) A.K.Skvortsov |
|
Chosenia arbutifolia (syn. Salix arbutifolia Pall.)[2] is a flowering plant in the family Salicaceae, native to northeastern Asia: eastern East Siberia, the Russian Far East, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, northern Japan, Korea, and Northeast China. The name is taken from the Joseon dynasty that ruled Korea until 1897. It is the sole member of genus Chosenia, but is included within the closely related genus Salix by many authors.[3][4][5]
It is a deciduous, willow-like wind-pollinated tree generally reaching a height of 20-30 m with a columnar crown and grey-brown peeling bark. The leaves are 5-8 cm long and 1.5-2.3 cm broad, with a very finely serrated to nearly entire margin, and an acuminate apex. The flowers are aggregated in pendulous catkins 1–3 cm long; it is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees. Chosenias are fast-growing pioneer trees on sand and pebble river banks.