茄苳 Red Cedar or Autummn Maple Tree (Qiedong)
茄苳是臺灣原生樹種,分布於臺灣低海拔地區,其樹型高大壯闊,成株胸徑可達一米以上。且樹冠面積大,對風及空氣污染抵抗力強,常種為庭院樹及行道樹種。
The wood of this tree is waterproof and humidity-resistant, and thus is very good for furniture and as a building material.It is also used in civil engineering and hydro-engineering. Red Cedar trees are dioecism plants. The flowers are tiny and in yellow-green color. The fruit are round dark-brown juicy fruit – 1cm in diameter and contains three to four seeds each. The fruit are edible when mature fully; the sarcocarp can be used to make wine. The seeds contain 30% to 54% oil, which is edible, suitable for making lubricant as well.
Red Cedar trees are indigenous to Taiwan, and grow in low-elevation regions. The trees are tall and huge; the mature ones can be 1m in diameter. The tree-crown is large as well. Since the trees have strong resistance against air wind and air pollution, they are commonly used as garden plants and shade trees.