Camptotheca acuminata is a species of tree in the genus Camptotheca that is native to north Vietnam and southern China.[1] It is also cultivated in the southern United States.[2]
A eudicot,[3] it is a flowering deciduous tree with light gray bark.[4] It can grow to a height of 20 metres (66ft). Its large, papery leaves are somewhat oval in shape, usually 12 to 28cm (5 to 10in) long and 6 to 12cm (2 to 5in) wide.[4] The flowers, which bloom from May through July, produce a gray-brown fruit with one seed in September.[4]
Uses
Camptotheca acuminata is a source of camptothecin chemicals, which have been tested for potential use as treatments for cancer and HIV.[2] The modern chemotherapy drugs topotecan and irinotecan are derived from it, though now the molecules are produced in a lab environment rather than extracted from the leaves and bark of the tree.[5] Because of this, it is sometimes called the "cancer tree".[5]
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