Vasilis Teodoridis:
Hamamelidaceae | Altingia
7. Altingia chinensis (Champion) Oliver ex Hance; J. Linn. Soc.; Bot. 13: 103. 1873.
?? tan shu
Liquidambar chinensis Champion; Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 4: 164. 1852.
Trees ca. 20 m tall; trunk to ca. 60 cm in diam.; bark gray; subscabrous; young branches glabrous; buds ovoid; pubescent. Stipules caducous; petiole ca. 1 cm; glabrous; leaf blade obovate-oblong; 7–13 x 3–4.5 cm; leathery; abaxially glabrous; base cuneate; margin crenate-serrate; apex acute; lateral veins ca. 7 on each side; prominent on both surfaces. Male inflorescences cylindrical; ca. 1 cm; usually many arranged in panicle; peduncle pubescent. Female inflorescence solitary or many in panicles; 15–26-flowered; peduncle 2–4 cm; bracts 4 or 5; ovate or lanceolate; 1–1.5 cm. Male flowers: stamens subsessile; anthers obovoid. Female flowers: staminode teeth pointed; styles 3–4 mm; pubescent; apex recurved. Infructescences subglobose; 1.7–2.8 cm wide; base truncate. Seeds brown; shiny. Fl. Mar–Jun; fr. Jul–Sep.
Forests; 600--1000 m. Fujian; Guangdong; Guangxi; Guizhou; Hainan; Hunan; Jiangxi; SE Yunnan; Zhejiang [Vietnam].
The essential oils of the wood are used in medicine or perfume; and the wood itself is used for making furniture.