Ailanthus altissima - Invasive.org

<strong>Ailanthus</strong> <strong>altissima</strong><br />

<strong>Ailanthus</strong> <strong>altissima</strong><br />

Tree of heaven<br />

Introduction<br />

The genus <strong>Ailanthus</strong> consists of<br />

approximately ten species, which<br />

have a wide distribution ranging from<br />

Asia to north Oceania. Five species<br />

and two varieties have been found in<br />

southwestern, southeastern, central,<br />

and northern China. [64]<br />

Taxonomy:<br />

Family: Simaroubaceae<br />

Genus: <strong>Ailanthus</strong> Desf.<br />

Species of <strong>Ailanthus</strong> in China<br />

<strong>Ailanthus</strong> <strong>altissima</strong> leaves and flowers. (Photo by David J. Moorhead, UGA.)<br />

Scientific Name<br />

Scientific Name<br />

A. <strong>altissima</strong> (Mill.) Swingle A. triphysa (Dennst.) Alston<br />

A. fordii Nooteboom A. vilmoriniana Dode<br />

A. giraldii Dode<br />

Description<br />

<strong>Ailanthus</strong> <strong>altissima</strong> is a deciduous<br />

woody tree that can reach a height of<br />

20 m. The bark is smooth with vertical<br />

streaks. The pithy shoots are initially<br />

covered with yellow or yellowish<br />

brown hairs, becoming glabrous. The<br />

leaves are odd-pinnate, 40-60 cm in<br />

length, consisting of 13-27 opposite<br />

or nearly opposite leaflets, which are<br />

papery, ovate, or lanceolate, 7-13 cm<br />

long and 2.5-4 cm wide, acuminate in<br />

the apex and suborbicular or cuneate<br />

at the base, with one or two glandular<br />

tips. The upper side of the leaf is deep<br />

green while the underside is grayish<br />

Colorful fruits of A. <strong>altissima</strong>. (Photo<br />

by Chuck Bargeron, UGA.)<br />

green. The inflorescence is a panicle<br />

with greenish flowers appearing from<br />

April to May. The flowers are about 6<br />

mm long with 5 imbricate sepals and<br />

five petals, which are 2-2.5 mm long<br />

and hirsute at the base. The staminate<br />

flowers have an unpleasant odor; leaves<br />

also produce this odor when bruised.<br />

The fruit, which appears from August<br />

to October, is an oblong samara, 3 -<br />

4.5 cm long and 1-1.2 cm wide, with<br />

a single flat seed in the middle of the<br />

wings [64] .<br />

Habitat<br />

A. <strong>altissima</strong> grows well in limestonerich<br />

soils and often occurs in disturbed<br />

areas.<br />

Distribution<br />

A. <strong>altissima</strong> occurs nationwide in<br />

China with the exception of Gansu,<br />

Heilongjiang, Hainan, Jilin, Ningxia,<br />

Qinghai, Tibet and Xinjiang. [64]<br />

The plant is recently reported to be<br />

cultivated in Ningxia, [115] Qinghai, [107]<br />

and Xinjiang. [175]<br />

10 — <strong>Invasive</strong> Plants of Asian Origin Established in the US and Their Natural Enemies<br />

Economic Importance<br />

A. <strong>altissima</strong> is planted in limestone<br />

areas for reforestation purposes, but<br />

in most cases, the plant is grown as<br />

an ornamental. The tree is a source of<br />

timber. The leaves serve as forage for<br />

Samia cynthia (Drurvy), a species of<br />

silk-producing caterpillar. The bark and<br />

fruit have medicinal uses [64] .<br />

Related Species<br />

Two varieties of A. <strong>altissima</strong> are<br />

reported in China. <strong>Ailanthus</strong> <strong>altissima</strong><br />

var. tanakai (Hayata) Kanehira et Sasaki<br />

has yellowish-gray bark, scythe-like<br />

leaflets and a single-seeded reddishbrown<br />

fruit. <strong>Ailanthus</strong> <strong>altissima</strong> var.<br />

sutchuenensis (Dode) Rehd. et Wils.<br />

can be identified by its red branchlets<br />

[64]<br />

.<br />

Natural Enemies of <strong>Ailanthus</strong><br />

At least 32 arthropods and 13 fungi<br />

have been recorded in association with<br />

the genus <strong>Ailanthus</strong> in China. Four<br />

identified fungal species (Phyllactinia<br />

ailanthi (Golov. et Bunk.), Cercospora<br />

glandulosa Ell. et Kell., Phyllosticta<br />

ailanthi Sacc., and Pseudocercospora<br />

ailanthicola (Patwardhan) Deighton;<br />

at least two new taxa (Alternaria<br />

ailanthi from Shandong and Shaanxi,<br />

and Aecidium ailanthi from Shaanxi);

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<strong>Ailanthus</strong> <strong>altissima</strong><br />

along with one as yet unidentified<br />

Coleosporium sp. from Henan, are<br />

reported only from A. <strong>altissima</strong>.<br />

Cytospora ailanthi Berk. et Curtis,<br />

which can cause a symptom of bark<br />

canker on tree of heaven, is reported<br />

to occur in Xinjiang [187] .One flexuous<br />

filamentous virus has been isolated from<br />

a tree of heaven exhibiting mosaic. It<br />

has been identified as a member of the<br />

potyvirus group [181] . Witches’ broom,<br />

caused by a mycoplasma-like <strong>org</strong>anism,<br />

is reported from Anhui [187] .Two weevils,<br />

Eucryptorrhynchus brandti (Harold)<br />

and Eucryptorrhynchus chinensis<br />

(Olivier), and one bug, Orthopagus<br />

lunulifer Uhler, may have potential<br />

for biological control of this plant<br />

based on their reported H. R.s and<br />

damage to the plant.<br />

Fungi<br />

Phylum Family Species H.R. Ref.<br />

Ascomycota<br />

Basidiomycota<br />

Erysiphaceae<br />

Phyllactinia ailanthi (Golovin & Bunkina) Y.N. Yu<br />

& S.J. Han<br />

Uncinula delavayi Pat.<br />

m 22<br />

p 23 †<br />

o 22<br />

o 23<br />

Uncinula picrasmae Homma mo 22<br />

Coleosporiaceae Coleosporium sp. m 187<br />

Incertae sedis Aecidium ailanthi J.Y. Zhuang m 210<br />

Schizophyllaceae Schizophyllum multifidum (Batsch) Fr. oo 23<br />

Sphaerophragmiaceae Nyssopsora cedrelae (Hori) Tranzschel p 23<br />

Anamorphic Guignardia Phyllosticta ailanthi Sacc. m 23<br />

Anamorphic Lewia Alternaria ailanthi T.Y. Zhang & Y.L. Guo m nc<br />

Anamorphic Mycosphaerella<br />

Cercospora glandulosa Ellis & Kellerm. m 23<br />

Pseudocercospora ailanthicola (Patw.) Deighton m 110<br />

Pseudocercospora qinlingensis Y.L. Guo oo 110<br />

Anamorphic Valsa Cytospora ailanthi Berk. & M.A. Curtis m 187<br />

†<br />

recorded as Phyllactinia corylea (Pers.) P. Karst., and regarded as a synonym of Phyllactinia ailanthi (Golovin & Bunkina) Y.N. Yu<br />

& S.J. In reference 22, although Phyllactinia guttata (Wallr.) Lév. is regarded as the current name of P. corylea.<br />

<strong>Invasive</strong> Plants of Asian Origin Established in the US and Their Natural Enemies — 11

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<strong>Ailanthus</strong> <strong>altissima</strong><br />

Arthropods<br />

Order Family Species H. R. Ref.<br />

Tetranychus urticae (Koch) p 85<br />

Acariformes Tetranychidae<br />

Tetranychus viennensis Zacher p 85<br />

Acalolepta degener (Bates) p 85<br />

Cerambycidae<br />

Mesosa longipennis Bates p 9<br />

Chrysomelidae Gastrolina depressa Baly p 85<br />

Alcidodes waltoni (Bohemen) p 85<br />

Desmidophorus hebes Fabricius p 85<br />

Coleoptera Curculionidae<br />

Eucryptorrhynchus brandti (Harold) m 2<br />

Eucryptorrhynchus chinensis (Olivier) m 2<br />

Eumolpidae Basilepta ruficolle (Jacoby) p 85<br />

Xyleborus discolor Blandford p 182<br />

Scolytidae<br />

Xyleborus lewisi Blandford p 182<br />

Erthesina fullo (Thunberg) p 85<br />

Hemiptera Pentatomidae<br />

Palomena angulosa Motschulsky p 85<br />

Cicadidae Huechys sanguinea De Geer p 85<br />

Coccidae Ceroplastes japonicus Green p 85<br />

Diaspididae Pinnaspis theae (Maskell) p 85<br />

Homoptera Dictyopharidae Orthopagus lunulifer Uhler m 85<br />

p 140<br />

Fulgoridae Lycorma delicatula (White)<br />

p 204<br />

Margarodidae Icerya seychellarum (Westwood) p 85<br />

Lepidoptera<br />

Geometridae<br />

Hepialidae<br />

Noctuidae<br />

Pieridae<br />

Pyralidae<br />

Saturniidae<br />

Culcula panterinaria (Bremer et Grey) p 85<br />

p 65<br />

Percnia giraffata (Guenée)<br />

p 158<br />

Phassus excrescens Butler p 85<br />

Phassus miniatus Chu et Wang p 85<br />

p 65<br />

Eligma narcissus (Cramer)<br />

m 85<br />

p 158<br />

Eurema hecabe (Linnaeus) p 85<br />

Talbotia naganuvm (Moore) p 158<br />

Dichocrocis punctiferalis (Guenée) p 85<br />

Omphisa plagialis Wileman p 85<br />

Actias selene ningpoana Felder p 141<br />

p 65 I<br />

Samia cynthia (Drurvy)<br />

Samia cynthia ricina (Donovan)<br />

p 141 II<br />

p<br />

158 III<br />

p 207<br />

p 158 IV<br />

p 207<br />

I , III<br />

Recorded as Philosamia cynthia walkeri Felder et Felder; II Recorded as Philosamia cynthia Walker et Felder, IV Recorded as Philosamia cynthia<br />

ricina Donovan<br />

12 — <strong>Invasive</strong> Plants of Asian Origin Established in the US and Their Natural Enemies