Tetracentron sinense

The common wheel tree is in the Trochodendraceae family native to southern China and the eastern Himalayas. It is a deciduous tree growing up to 40 m tall.

• Leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate, arranged all along the stems, on red petioles about 2 cm long, each leaf dark green, broad heart-shaped, 5–13 cm long and 4–10 cm broad, with a corrugated surface and a serrated margin. Spur shoots bear a one leaf each year, slowly lengthening with each subsequent year.
• Flowers are inconspicuous, yellowish green, without petals, produced on slender catkins 10–15 cm long, each flower 1–2 mm in diameter.
• Fruit is a follicle 2–5 mm diameter, containing 4-6 seeds, many mounted on a slender catkin 10–15 cm long.
• Bark is smooth, gray in colour.