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''Aleurites'' is a small genus of arborescent flowering plants in the Euphorbiaceae, first described as a genus in 1776.〔Forster, Johann Reinhold & Forster, Johann Georg Adam. 1775. Characteres Generum Plantarum 111, pl. 56〕〔(Tropicos, ''Aleurites'' J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. )〕 It is native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Papuasia, and Queensland. It is also reportedly naturalized on various islands (Pacific and Indian Oceans, plus the Caribbean) as well as scattered locations in Africa, South America, and Florida.〔(Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families )〕〔Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.〕〔(Flora of China Page 265 石栗属 shi li shu ''Aleurites'' J. R. Forster & G. Forster, Char. Gen. Pl. 111. 1776. )〕 These monoecious, evergreen trees are perennials or semi-perennials. These are large trees, tall, with spreading drooping and rising branches. The leaves are alternate, lobate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate with minute stipules. They are pubescent on both sides when young, but in a later stage they become glabrous. The inflorescence consists of terminal plumes of small, creamy white bell-shaped fragrant flowers, branching from the base. The flowers are usually bisexual, with a solitary pistillate flower at the end of each major axis. The lateral cymes are staminate. There are five or six imbricate petals. The staminate flowers are mostly longer and thinner than the pistillate flowers, with 17-32 glabrous stamens in four whorls. The pistillate flowers have a superior ovary. The fruits are rather large drupes with a fleshy exocarp and a thin, woody endocarp. They vary in shape, according to the numbers of developed locules. They contain oleiferous, poisonous seeds. The oil has been used as a paraffin, lubricant and as a constituent of varnish, paint and soap. Once poisonous substances are removed, it can be used as a cooking oil Some deciduous Chinese species are now classified under a separate genus ''Vernicia''. The name ''Aleurites'' is derived from a Greek word meaning "wheaten flour", because of the appearance of the lower surface of the leaf. ==Taxonomy and nomenclature== Linnaeus assigned the Latin feminine grammatical gender to the genus name ''Aleurites'', as for example in the species name ''Aleurites moluccanus''. The current International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants has standardized all genus names ending in ''-ites'' to use the masculine gender, so the correct name of the species ''Aleurites moluccanus''.〔 Article 62.4〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Aleurites」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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