Schima superba is a species of flowering plant in the tea family Theaceae, native to subtropical areas of Vietnam, southern China, Hainan, Taiwan, and the Ryukyu Islands. It often grows in forests from 100-800m in elevation.
S. superba is a large evergreen tree with straight and strong trunk. Its tree height can reach 30m, diameter at breast height 1.2m.
The flesh of the skin is thick, gray-brown or gray-white, longitudinally cracked and peeled in small patches, in the shell there are many iridescent fibers that cause itching with a reddish-brown color. The heartwood is light red, reddish brown or fawn, with occasional dark bands. White sapwood.
Young branches and shoots are red-pink, covered with pale yellow hairs.
The leaves are simple, alternate, leathery, 7-12cm long, ovoid shape, thick leaf blade, serrated margin characteristic of the tea family, often densely grown on the tip of the branches. The fragrant flowers are white, 3cm in diameter, hermaphrodite, often racemosely crowded on the tip of the branchlets or in the axils of the top leaves of the branches. Many yellow stamens attached to the corolla ring and fall at the same time. The fruit is a capsule, globose or subglobose, cracks into 5 pieces when dried. The seed is flat, reniform, small and light with narrow wings, and falls easily from the husk. S. superba is a precious and multi-purpose tree species. It can be used for fire prevention, landscaping, ecological protection and pest prevetion. Its wood is used in the textile industry, for bridges, ships, buildings, farm tools, furniture, plywood etc. It can also be used for making oriental medicines for external application.
