Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree).

Triadica sebifera is a valuable multipurpose agroforestry species in the central Himalayan region and across Asia, and is also a popular ornamental tree for its colourful autumn leaves. The fruit of T. sebifera contains two types of fat. The white, fleshy outer seedcoat (sarcotesta) produces a fat known as Chinese vegetable tallow, while the cotyledons of the seed (kernel) yield a drying oil called stillingia oil. These oils are used as a substitute for cocoa butter in the food industry, to make paints, varnishes, soaps and candles, and to waterproof umbrellas. The leaves contain a dye, used in Asia to dye silk black. As an agroforestry species, Triadica sebifera is a good soil binder and contributes to nutrient recycling. It is planted in tea plantations as a shade tree and is also a minor timber tree. Its wood is sometimes used to make various implements, toys, furniture and Chinese printing blocks. The root, bark and leaves are used in traditional medicine in China (PROSEA, 2018; PROTA, 2018).

Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree).

Triadica sebifera is a tree that behaves as an aggressive weed and forms monospecific stands with the potential to displace native plant species altering the composition, structure and functioning of invaded ecosystems. It is also able to alter nutrient cycles, fire regimes and successional patterns of invaded sites. Triadica sebifera is a prolific seed producer adapted to grow in a wide range of habitats. Its tolerance to drought, flooding and a degree of salinity, effective dispersal of seeds by avian vectors and water and a high germination rate contribute to the invasiveness of this species. Currently, this species is listed as invasive in the United States, India and Australia, but the range of introduction and naturalization of this species is very extensive across tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world.

An Assessment of the Potential to Produce Commercially Valuable Lipids on Highway Right-of-Way Land Areas Located Within the Southeastern United States

Right-of-way (ROW) land areas are required for all publicly owned transportation roadways representing over 40 million acres within the US alone. These relatively unused land assets could support potential farming land for plants and algae that contain high levels of lipids that could be used in the energy industry as an alternative fuel source. This process would offer many benefits including more efficient use of public land, eliminating mowing maintenance, increasing the bioenergy use in the US, providing visually appealing viewscapes, and helping to naturally reduce localized carbon dioxide. This paper analyzed the feasibility and potential optimization strategies of using this concept in the South-Eastern United States by scaling and comparing many of the benefits and risks associated with the selected lipid sources (soybeans, flax, sunflowers, Tung trees, Chinese tallow tree, and microalgae). Based on this assessment, the most attractive option appears to be growing flax in the winter and sunflowers in the summer with Tung Trees grown year-round as an alternative option. This would maximize lipids output while preserving and enhancing right-of-way land areas.