Millettia leucantha

Botanical Description

Millettia leucantha is a deciduous tree growing around 6 - 7 metres tall[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The tree is harvested from the wild for its good quality wood. This is one of 33 species named as being a suitable Hongmu (red wood) timber, used for producing high quality Chinese furniture following traditions from the Ming and Quing dynasty, which makes it a particularly valuable wood[ 1791 Title The Hongmu Challenge; A briefing for the 66th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee, January 2016 Publication Author Website http://www.eia-global.org Publisher Environmental Investigation Agency; London Year 2016 ISBN Description Lists the 33 species used in making Hungmu furniture and the degree of over-exploitation plus recommendations for protecting them. ]. Millettia leucantha has a large native range, though it is currently suspected that the population is declining slowly due to the loss of the species native habitat, driven by the expansion of agriculture. This rate of loss is not expected to exceed the boundaries for a threatened category under criterion A but more information to confirm this would be valuable. As the species is so widespread, and is also found in protected areas, it is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].