specifically referring to P. tomentosa; it is also known as the "princess tree". Paulownia is the mon of the office of prime minister, and also serves as the Government Seal of Japan used by the Cabinet and the Government of Japan (whereas the chrysanthemum is the Imperial Seal of Japan). It is one of the suits in the card game hanafuda, associated with the month of November or December (some regions reverse the order of these two months). Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia states: Paulownia wood is very light, fine-grained, and warp-resistant. It is the fastest-growing hardwood. It is used for chests, boxes, and clogs (geta). The wood is burned to make charcoal for sketching and powder for fireworks, the bark is made into a dye. The silvery-grey wood is sliced into veneers for special visiting cards. It is important in China, Korea, and Japan for making the soundboards of stringed musical instruments such as the guqin, guzheng, pipa, koto, and gayageum. More recently it is used as body material for low-cost electric guitars, as the core for lightweight touring skis, and for surfboard cores. It is used in guitars as the core body, then laminated under a more durable wood. Species Tested and confirmed species: Potential variety, hybrid, and synonym species: References External links Paulownia forestry information Paulownia Research Center in China (Shaanxi) Flora of China - Paulownia Paulownia trees.org silvatree.com: Paulownia forestry fadr.msu.ru: "Paulownia, the Tree of Choice in China" Energy crops Garden plants of Asia Lamiales genera Ornamental trees Phytoremediation plants Paulowniaceae Trees of China Trees of Laos Trees of Vietnam