Paulownia tomentosa

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-020406",
  "term": "Paulownia tomentosa",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "Princess tree, also known as royal paulownia or empress tree, is a small to medium sized tree that may reach 30-60 feet in height. The bark is rough, gray-brown, and interlaced with shiny, smooth areas. Stems are olive-brown to dark brown, hairy and markedly flattened at the nodes (where stems and branches meet). Leaves are large, broadly oval to heart-shaped, or sometimes shallowly three-lobed, and noticeably hairy on the lower leaf surfaces. They are arranged in pairs along the stem. Conspicuous upright clusters of showy, pale violet, fragrant flowers open in the spring. The fruit is a dry brown capsule with four compartments that may contain several thousand tiny winged seeds. Capsules mature in autumn when they open to release the seeds and then remain attached all winter, providing a handy identification aid.",
  "references": [
    "National Park Service Plant Conservation Alliance at http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pato1.htm"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/paulownia-tomentosa/"
}