Rhoiptelea is a
monotypic genus of flowering plants in the Juglandaceae family. It contains a single species,
Rhoiptelea chiliantha, commonly known as the
horsetail tree. This genus was previously recognized in its own family,
Rhoipteleaceae, but the
APG III system of 2009 placed it in the
Juglandaceae family.
Rhoiptelea chiliantha is native to southwest
China and north
Vietnam and lives at the elevation of 700-1600m in mountainous areas. The trees are wind-pollinated, the flowers arranged in large sagged
panicles usually 32 cm long like horse tails, and the
fruit is a small botanical
nut with rounded wings. The
leaves are pinnately compound and papery. The trees are usually 17 m high and with 40 cm diameter. It is a protected species of
China.