Ailanthus
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Ailanthus (Template:IPAc-en;<ref>Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607</ref> derived from ailanto, an Ambonese word probably meaning "tree of the gods" or "tree of heaven")<ref name="EB1911">{{#if: |
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}}{{#ifeq: ||}}</ref> is a genus of trees belonging to the family Simaroubaceae, in the order Sapindales (formerly Rutales or Geraniales). The genus is native from East Asia south to northern Australasia. One species, the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), is considered a weed or invasive species in some parts of the world.
Selected species
The number of living species is disputed, with some authorities accepting up to ten species, while others accept six or fewer. Species include:
- Ailanthus altissima Template:Au (tree of heaven, syn. A. vilmoriniana Template:Au<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) – northern and central mainland China, Taiwan. Invasive in North America, Europe, Britain, and Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Serves as central metaphor in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
- Ailanthus excelsa Template:Au – India and Sri Lanka
- Ailanthus fordii Template:Au – China
- Ailanthus integrifolia Template:Au – New Guinea and Queensland, Australia
- Ailanthus triphysa Template:Au (white siris syn. A. malabarica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) – India, South-east Asia and Australia
- Ailanthus vietnamensis Template:Au – Vietnam
There is a good fossil record of Ailanthus with many species names based on their geographic occurrence, but almost all of these have very similar morphology and have been grouped as a single species among the three species recognized:<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Ailanthus tardensis Template:Au – from a single locality in Hungary
- Ailanthus confucii Template:Au – Tertiary period, Europe, Asia, and North America
- Ailanthus gigas Template:Au – from a single locality in Slovenia
- Ailanthus pythii Template:Au – known from the Miocene of Iceland, Styria in Austria and the Gavdos island in Greece
- Ailanthus kurzii Template:Au – endemic to the Andaman Islands, India
- Ailanthus maximus Template:Au – known from the latest Paleocene to late Oligocene in the Tibetan Plateau<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Ailanthus silk moth
A silk spinning moth, the ailanthus silkmoth (Samia cynthia), lives on Ailanthus leaves, and yields a silk more durable and cheaper than mulberry silk, but inferior to it in fineness and gloss. This moth has been introduced to the eastern United States and is common near many towns; it is about 12 cm across, with angulated wings, and in color olive brown, with white markings.<ref name="EB1911"/> Other Lepidoptera whose larvae feed on Ailanthus include Endoclita malabaricus, and Atteva aurea (commonly known as the Ailanthus webworm moth).