| Chinese Varnish Tree |
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| File size | 71335 |
| Original date | 6/10/12 11:40 AM |
| Resolution | 800 x 600 |
| Flash | Flash did not fire, auto |
| Focal length | 100.0mm |
| Exposure time | 1/200s |
| Aperture | 3.5 |
| Focus Distance | |
| Metering Mode | Multi-segment |
| Camera make | Canon |
| Camera model | Canon EOS 550D |
| Sensor type |
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Photo: |
Botanical name: Toxicodendron vernicifluum Family: Anacardiaceae (Cashew family)
Synonyms: Rhus succedanea var. himalaica, Rhus verniciflua
Synonyms: Rhus succedanea var. himalaica, Rhus verniciflua
Chinese Varnish Tree is a tree that grows in East
Asia, in regions of China, Korea, Japan and also in NW Himalayas. The
trees are cultivated and tapped for their toxic sap, which is used as a
highly durable lacquer to make Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
lacquerware. It is a 15-20 m tall tree with compound leaves having 7-13
leaflets. Leaflets are 10 to 20 cm long and 3 to 7 cm wide. Berries are
straw-coloured, 1 cm in diameter. The milky latex turns black in a few
minutes when exposed to air. The sap acts skin-irritating chemically
and is allergizing. The dried lacquer is skin-irritating only for very
few people. A caustic, toxic sap, called urushiol, is tapped from the
trunk of the Chinese lacquer tree to produce varnish. Products coated
with varnish are recognizable by an extremely durable and glossy
finish. Lacquer has many uses; some common applications include
tableware, musical instruments, fountain pens, jewelry, and bows. In
India the tree is found in NW Himalayas, from Kashmir to Nepal, at
altitudes of 1524-2450 m.
Identification credit: Gurcharan Singh
| Photographed in Dachhigam, Kashmir. |