Vernicia cordata (Japanese wood-oil tree, "Aburagiri")

Japanese name: アブラギリ （油桐）
Scientific name: Vernicia cordata

[Overview]
A deciduous tree 15 m tall.
It is unclear whether those seen in the mountains of Japan are truly native.
The leaves are alternate, either shallowly 3-lobed in the upper part or simple.
They are ovate to broadly ovate, 12–20 cm long and 8–16 cm wide, slightly whitish on the underside.
The leaf margin has blunt teeth.
The petiole is 6–20 cm long and tinged pale red, with 2 stalked glands at the base of the leaf.
There are male and female flowers.
Both male and female inflorescences are borne in panicles at the branch tips.
The male inflorescence is 16–25 cm wide and the female inflorescence is about 9–12 cm wide.
Both male and female flowers are white, five-petaled, about 4 cm across, with petals 1.5–1.8 cm long.
Some time after opening, the bases of the petals and the stamens turn reddish.
The fruit is an oblate capsule 2–2.5 cm long and about 2.5 cm wide.
The fruit has 3 grooves and does not split open even when ripe.
The seeds are oblate and 1.3 cm long.

[Uses]
The oil obtained from the seeds is called toyu and is used industrially, for example in paints, printing ink, and for polishing furniture and lacquerware.
This oil is toxic and is not edible.
The extract from the bark contains tannin and seems to have been used for tanning leather and dyeing fishing nets.
The wood was made into geta (wooden clogs) and utensils.

[Notes]
The Japanese name derives from the leaves and fruit resembling those of kiri and from the oil being obtained from the seeds.
The alternative name Dokue (毒荏) is thought to be in contrast to egoma oil (荏油).

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