Daphniphyllum macropodum

Daphniphyllum macropodum is a small tree or shrub, usually 3–10 m (10–33 ft) tall, but occasionally up to 20 m (66 ft) tall. It has long leaves, 14–25 cm (6–10 in) long by 3–6.5 cm (1–3 in) wide, with purplish red stalks (petioles) and conspicuous veins. The leaves are arranged in a tight spiral, almost like whorls at the branch tips. Very young branches are red, turning brown with age; older trunks are greyish brown.[1][4]

The clusters of flowers (inflorescences) emerge from leaf axils on the previous year's growth. Each cluster has a pink bract at its base which initially encloses it; they have been described as being like "miniature tissue-wrapped bunches of grapes".[4] The tiny flowers, which have a disagreeable smell, lack sepals or petals. Each plant is either male or female (i.e. has flowers with either functional stamens or functional ovaries). Male flowers have 6–12 pink stamens, about 3 mm (0.1 in) long. Female flowers have a single green ovary, 2–3 mm (0.1 in) long; they sometimes also have staminodes – nonfunctional stamens.[4] When female flowers are fertilized, purplish brown fruits (drupes) develop, about 1 cm (0.4 in) long.[1]

• 
  Male flowers - in cultivation at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens (United Kingdom)
• 
  Female flowers in Japan

Daphniphyllum macropodum was first described by Friedrich Miquel in 1867. In 1966, Tseng Chieng Huang reduced it to D. himalayense subsp. macropodum.[5] Other sources, such as the Flora of China and the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP), do not accept this placement.[1][5] Further synonyms include D. humile Maxim. ex Franch. & Sav., which has also been treated as D. macropodum subsp. (or var.) humile, names not accepted by the WCSP.[5]

Among the middle Miocene Sarmatian palynoflora from the Lavanttal Basin Austria, researchers have firmly recognized Daphniphyllum fossil pollen. The sediment containing the Daphniphyllum fossil pollen had accumulated in a lowland wetland environment with various vegetation units of mixed evergreen/deciduous broadleaved/conifer forests surrounding the wetland basin. Key relatives of the fossil taxa found with Daphniphyllum are presently confined to humid warm temperate environments, suggesting a subtropical climate during the middle Miocene in Austria.[6]

D. macropodum, like other species in the genus, can be grown as an ornamental evergreen shrub or small tree, when its main attractions are its large leaves and pink-flushed new growth. A sheltered situation in moist but well-drained soil is recommended. The newly emerged shoots are easily damaged by frost. Although growing to become a small tree in its natural habitat, in gardens it is more often found as a well-branched shrub. Propagation is by heel cuttings or fresh seed.[4]

The leaves are dried and smoked by the Ainu in Japan and Siberia.[7]

In China, a decoction of the fresh leaves, combined with either straw ash and water or fresh pumpkin leaves, is strained to create grass jelly.[8]