ATreasure in the Remote Mountains - Katsura Tree

（国家二级重点保护植物）

(Second-Grade State Protection Plant)

连香树（拉丁学名：  Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. Et Zucc.）为连香树科，落叶乔木。高10-20(-40)米，胸径达1米;树皮灰色，纵裂，呈薄片剥落;小枝无毛，有长枝和矩状短枝，短枝在长枝上对生;无顶芽，侧芽卵圆形，芽鳞。主要生长在温带。该种为第三纪古热带植物的孑遗种单科植物，是较古老原始的木本植物，雌雄异株，结实较少，天然更新困难，资源稀少，已濒临灭绝状态，因此被列入《中国珍稀濒危植物名录》、《中国植物红皮书》和第一批《国家重点保护野生植物名录》。

Katsura Tree (Scientific Latin Name: Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. Et Zucc.) is a deciduous tree in the family Cercidiphyllum.10-20(-40) meters high, diameter at breast height of 1 meter;  longitudinally splitgray barks peeling off in the flaky shape; small branchlets are glabrous, and rectangularshort branches are opposite long branches; No terminal bud,ovoid lateral bud, mainly growing in temperate areas. This species is a single-familyrelict species of the Tertiary paleotropical plants andan ancient primitive woody plant. Dioecious, fewer fruits, and hard to reproduce. This rare tree is on the verge of extinction, so it has been included in the List of Rare and Endangered Plants in China, the Red Book of Chinese Plants and the first branch of the List of Wild Plants under State Key Protection.