Sophora japonica L.

Spice Leaves In the University In the University 2

Family: LEGUMINOSAE

Genus: Sophora

Catalan common name: Acàcia del Japó. Sòfora.

Spanish common name: Acacia del Japón. Sófora.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Chinese-Japanese

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Macrophanerophyte.

Habitats: Garden plants. Gardens.

Description: Deciduous tree that reaches up to 25 m in height. Leaves are 14 to 22 cm in height, alternate odd-pinnate, with 5-10 pairs of elliptic-lanceolate folioles with short petioles, 3-5 cm in length and 2-2.5 cm in width, dark green in colour and hairless on the obverse side, blue -green and slightly pilose on the reverse. Flowers are creamy yellow, arranged in terminal panicles and auxiliary racemes. Fruit is a dangling legume, greenish with a fleshy appearance, looks like a necklace as it is composed of a series of more or less round segments that surround the dark olive to black coloured seeds.

Observations: In the autumn the leaves take on yellowish hues before falling.