''Machilus nanmu'' is a species of evergreen tree in the family

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur ma ...

. It is endemic to Sichuan and northeastern Yunnan provinces in southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. ''M. nanmu'' is threatened by habitat loss due primarily to overcutting. ''Machilus nanmu'' is a large, slow growing tree that develops with a long straight trunk ranging from 10 to 40 meters in height, and 50 to 100 cm in diameter. It was used extensively in construction and furniture making because it is highly resistant to decay, is very dense and comes in attractive colours from olive-brown to reddish brown. The Forbidden City was originally constructed using ''M. nanmu'' wood by Ming emperor Zhu Di."Forbidden City:History:Construction"
from ''Insecula Encyclopedia of the Great Museums of the World'' Because it is resistant to decay it was also used to make boats.

References

nanmu Endemic flora of China Endangered plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Flora of Sichuan Flora of Yunnan {{Laurales-stub