Japanese snowbell
Styracaceae
- Range
- From Hokkaido to the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Korean Peninsula, China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines
This deciduous tree is found nationwide, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, typically along bright forest roads and in valleys of mountainous areas. In mainland Japan, it is known for its early-summer flowers, while in the Amami Islands, it signals the arrival of spring, peaking in March. Notably, the flowering period in the Amami Islands ranges from December to June. The corolla usually has five lobes, but the number can vary from three to seven. Its seeds are toxic and were historically used as fish poison.
Habitat of This Animal:
A:Forest along the valley - A3:Deep forest
Along the mountain valleys grows a high humidity forest. In such an environment, Quercus miyagii, a species of oak often grows in clusters. Some of these grow more than 20m tall and with trunk diameters exceeding 1m, with largely developed buttress roots. Also, there are many animals and plants preferring humid environments, supporting the abundant biota of Tokunoshima Island together with the forest along mountain ridges.
This A3:Deep forest