Pterostyrax, the epaulette tree, is a small genus of four species of deciduous large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, native to eastern Asia in China and Japan. They grow 4- tall, with alternate, simple ovate leaves 6- long and 4- broad. The flowers are white, produced in dense panicles 8- long. The fruit is an oblong dry drupe, with longitudinal ribs or narrow wings (the wings are absent in the related genus Styrax, whence the name Pterostyrax, "winged styrax").[1] [2] [3]
The species names are frequently given with feminine gender ("corymbosa", etc.); however, the genus is correctly of masculine gender.[2]