The Gymnosperm Database

line drawing

Cephalotaxus wilsoniana (Li 1975 [as C. harringtonia]).

photograph

Foliage and fruits (Liu 1970).

photograph

Bark (Liu 1970).

line drawing

Line drawing (of C. sinensis var. wilsoniana) from the Flora of China (Fu et al. 1999).

 

Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional

Conservation status 2013

Cephalotaxus wilsoniana

Hayata 1914

Common names

台湾粗榧 tai wan cu fei [Chinese] (Fu et al. 1999), Taiwan plum yew; Taiwan cow's-tail pine (Liu 1970).

Taxonomic notes

Syn.: C. harringtonia var. wilsoniana (Hayata) Kitam. 1974; C. sinensis var. wilsoniana (Hayata) Fu et Li 1997 (Farjon 1998). The molecular analysis by Hao et al. (2008) showed that the clade C. harringtonia - C. koreana - C. wilsoniana is monophyletic, and that the latter two species could be treated as varieties of the former.

Description

Trees to 9 m with pendant branches (Tripp 1995). "Leaves linear, slightly falcate, spreading in 2 ranks, 3-4 cm. long, 2.5-3.0 cm. wide, apex acute, base narrowed, dark green above, with two grayish white stomatic bands beneath. Seeds drupe-like, ovoid to obovoid, about 2.5 cm. long, becoming dark purple at maturity, ripening in September. Trunk bark dull reddish brown, thinly flaky, flakes about 0.4 mm. in thickness; lenticels inconspicuous; outer bark 1-1.5 mm. thick, fibrous, with grayish brown and somewhat tiered cross-sections; newly formed periderm deep purplish red, phelloderm almost inconspicuous; inner bark 3-4 mm. in thickness, fibrous, more or less tiered; cambium and newly formed phloem indistinct. Freshly cut sapwood pale yellowish orange, wood rays inconspicuous" (Liu 1970). Differs from C. sinensis in that at least some leaves are tapered from a point above middle of blade but well below the apex, the leaves being ca. 10 × as long as wide (Fu et al. 1999).

Distribution and Ecology

Taiwan, widely but sparsely distributed in mid-elevation woodlands. E.g. Miaoli Xian: Taian Hsiang: Kuanwu, by guesthouse of the Taiwan Forestry Bureau. Elevation: 2000 m. Plants in cultivation in the garden, originated locally. Taichung Xian: Hoping Xiang: Lishan. Elevation: 3000 m. Open roadside. Tree ca. 3 m tall. Hualien Xian: Xiulin Xiang: en route from Wuchiapengshan to Chilai. Broadleaf forest to mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest. 121°20'E, 24°01'N. Elevation: 2000-2100 m. On exposed slope below trail; only one tree, maybe cultivated. Tree ca. 3 m tall; fruits bluish green. Nantou Xian: Jenai Hsiang: Meifeng. Elevation: 2200 m Miaoli Xian: en route from Kuanwu to Leshan. Elevation: 2000-2200 m (HAST 1999). Hardy to Zone 8 (cold hardiness limit between -12.1°C and -6.7°C) (Bannister and Neuner 2001).

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2023.02.23.

Ethnobotany

No data as of 2023.02.23.

Observations

No data as of 2023.02.23.

Remarks

Citations

Herbarium of the Research Center For Biodiversity, Academia Sinica, Taipei [HAST]. 1999. Database output at http://www2.sinica.edu.tw:8080/hast/eindex.html, accessed 1999.03.15, now defunct.

See also

The species account at Threatened Conifers of the World.

Huang 1994 (the Flora of Taiwan).

Last Modified 2023-02-26