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Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms

The Treasure Tree

Wood Category, Volume 37

The "Treasure Tree" (Bao Shu) often refers to auspicious or semi-mythical trees in Chinese tradition, though the text here focuses on the practical evaluation of timber and silk-producing trees.

Observations on Wild Silkworms and Tree Varieties

Silkworms that feed on the Pagoda tree original: "槐" (Huai). Sophora japonica, also known as the Chinese Scholar Tree. are as tiny as ants, while the moths found on the Elm original: "榆" (Yu). resemble grasshoppers or leeches. The cocoons produced by both are as flimsy as spider webs and are entirely unfit for weaving into fabric.

The cocoons of the Tree of Heaven original: "樗" (Chu). Ailanthus altissima, sometimes called the "stinking cedar" due to its odor. contain very little usable silk. The insects on this tree bind several leaves together to form a hollow nest and curl up inside. If you pluck these nests and toss them aside, the silkworms will continue to move, dragging their leafy dwellings along with them. How could silkworms such as these ever produce the delicate, swaying threads original: "裊裊" (Niaoniao). A poetic term describing long, slender, and gracefully moving silk filaments. required for high-quality textiles?

The Oak original: "橡" (Xiang). tree, by contrast, is sturdy and robust. Its wood is brown, and its leaves are stiff and glossy. Those varieties that do not bear fruit meaning they do not produce acorns are called Blue Oaks original: "青岡" (Qinggang). Cyclobalanopsis glauca.. Their leaves are even thicker and larger, second only to those of the Silkworm Thorn Silkworm Thorn (柘, Zhe): Cudrania tricuspidata, a tree closely related to the mulberry; its leaves are historically used as a premium alternative for feeding silkworms to produce high-resonance lute strings.. Because the silkworms eat these leaves, they take on the tree's hardy characteristics; consequently, the silk they produce is exceptionally strong and natural.