Cephalotaxus mannii

Hook.f. 1886

Common names

Mann's plum yew, Khasi plum yew, 西双版纳粗榧 xīshuāng bǎnnà cūfěi [Chinese], มะขามป้อมดง makham pom dong [Thai], Đỉnh tùng, Phỉ ba mũi [Vietnamese]. Note the Chinese name is a misnomer since the species has a very large range that may not even include Xishuangbanna, which is a small area in southern Yunnan. It should probably be called Indochina plum yew, a more accurate and informative name.

Taxonomic notes

Type: India, Meghalaya, Khasi Hills, Lankhla Woods, 1885.07.01, G. Mann s.n. (holo K000288019). Syn: Cephalotaxus griffithii Hook.f. 1888; C. harringtonia var. thailandensis Silba 2000; C. mannii subsp. thailandensis (Silba) Silba 2007. This was treated as a good species by both Fu et al. (1999) and Farjon (2010), but Lang et al. (2013) synonymized it with C. harringtonia, while Zhang et al. (2019) synonymized it with C. hainanensis. The molecular analysis by Wang et al. (2022) (discussed in Cephalotaxus) found that C. mannii joins C. hainanensis in a clade sister to C. lanceolata. In a biogeographical and evolutionary sense, though, C. mannii is one of the most widespread Cephalotaxus species, found from India to Vietnam, whereas C. lanceolata is only found in a small area of extreme northwestern Yunnan and C. hainanensis is only found in the mountainous interior of Hainan Island; both areas are directly adjacent to the range of C. mannii. Thus these local species plausibly represent variants that diverged at different times from a common C. mannii-like ancestor.

Description

Trees to 30 m tall (perhaps more) and 120 cm dbh, with a rounded or narrow crown of spreading or ascending branches. Bark thin, exfoliating in flakes or strips, light brown to reddish brown, weathering gray. Twigs up to 12 cm long, grooved between decurrent leaf bases, green turning orange-brown. Leaves thin-coriaceous, borne in two pectinate rows, spreading horizontally at 45-90° to shoot axis, subopposite, 2.5-5 cm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, straight or slightly falcate, nearly sessile, base broad-obtuse to truncate, blade widest below middle and tapering to a cuspidate apex, adaxial (upper) midrib thin, prominent, continuous, 0.4 mm wide; similar but flatter on lower side; upper side dark green or olive-green, lower side more pale with two broad bands each with 20-25 intermittent lines of stomata; marginal bands 0.1-0.3 mm wide, margins slightly revolute. Pollen cones in rows of capitula on the underside of foliage-bearing twigs; axillary; each capitulum on a 1-3 mm long scaly peduncle subtended by ovate, incurved bracts; each capitula with 6-8 sessile, globose, light yellow cones up to 4 mm diameter. Microsporophylls 6-12 per cone each with 3-4 globose, cream-colored pollen sacs. Seed cones borne in groups of 1-3 on 6-10 mm peduncles; arils ellipsoid, green, at maturity 20-30 × 10-15 mm, ripening soft and red with longitudinal striations. Seeds obovoid to ellipsoid, sometimes laterally compressed, 18-28 × 8-14 mm, apex mucronate or cuspidate. Pollination (November-)February-March, seed maturity August-October. 2n = 24 (Fu et al. 1999, Farjon 2010).

Distribution and Ecology

China: Guangdong (Xinyi), Guangxi (Rong); NE India (Khasi, Jaintia and Naga Hills), Laos, N Myanmar, N Thailand, N Vietnam (Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh, Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien–Hue, Kon Tum, Lam Dong and Ninh Thuan) (Fu et al. 1999, Farjon 2010, Loc et al. 2017).

Distribution data (C. mannii shown in green), based on GBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.bz6u39 (2024.08.24). Open left pane for legend; click on any icon for a link to source information. See map notes (left pane) for details on map preparation.

Occurs at 500-2000 m elevation on both silicate and carbonate substrates, in deciduous or mixed evergreen forest, often in ravines. Common conifer associates on silicate soils include Nageia wallichiana, Taxus wallichiana, Dacrycarpus imbricatus, and Podocarpus neriifolius; and on carbonate (karst) soils Pseudotsuga sinensis, Nageia fleuryi, Pinus kwangtungensis, Podocarpus pilgeri, Taxus chinensis, Cryptomeria hodginsii, and Amentotaxus spp. Of course there are also many dominant angiosperms and usually a prolific epiphyte community (Farjon 2010). Specifically in Vietnam, it is found scattered in small groups at elevations of 500-2000 m on both limestone and silicate derived soils; mean annual temperature is 13-21°C, annual rainfall >1500 mm. Here it grows in primary closed evergreen tropical seasonal broad-leaved submontane forests (Hiep et al. 2004). The plants are shade tolerant when young, but intolerant when mature. Hardy to Zone 9 (cold hardiness limit between -6.6°C and -1.1°C) (Bannister and Neuner 2001).

In 2010 this species was assessed as "Vulnerable" due to range-wide loss of forest habitat caused by conversion to agriculture, and due to exploitation of the trees for their timber and bark. Data gaps and uncertainties suggested the species might warrant "Endangered" listing, and further declines have likely occurred since 2010 (Liao and Yang 2013). The species is likewise assessed as "Vulnerable" in Vietnam, primarily due to habitat fragmentation and conversion to nonforest land uses (Hiep et al. 2004).

Remarkable Specimens

Farjon (2010) notes that there are reports (without evidence) of trees as much as 50 m tall in Thailand, and trees 30 m tall are commonly seen in undisturbed evergreen montane rainforests of Vietnam and Thailand.

Ethnobotany

The timber is straight-grained with fine structure and high elasticity, rather hard, easy to work, not splitting and deforming after seasoning, and resistant to termites and insects. It is used for high quality furniture, tool handles and fine art articles. Oil from the seeds is used in painting; the seed is also used in medicine (FIPI 1996 [as C. oliveri]). Although the species is suitable for cultivation, it is seldom seen outside Asia -- although cultivated plants labeled as C. griffithii may often be C. mannii (Farjon 2010).

Observations

No data as of 2023.02.23.

Remarks

The epithet honors German botanist Gustav Mann, who collected the type specimen and who for many years maintained a close association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Citations

Hiep, Nguyen Tien, Phan Ke Loc, Nguyen Duc To Luu, Philip Ian Thomas, Aljos Farjon, Leonid V. Averyanov, and Jacinto C. Regalado Jr. 2004. Vietnam Conifers: Conservation Status Review 2004. Hanoi: Fauna & Flora International, Vietnam Programme.

Hooker, Joseph Dalton. 1886. Hooker's Icones Plantarum; or figures, with brief descriptive characters and remarks of new or rare plants. London Collation 16: t. 1523. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 20224.08.27.

Lang, Xue-Dong, Jian-Rong Su, Shu-Gang Lu, and Zhi-Jun Zhang. 2013. A taxonomic revision of the genus Cephalotaxus (Taxaceae). Phytotaxa 84(1): 1-24.

Liao, W. and Y. Yang. 2013. Cephalotaxus mannii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T18625568A2804770. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T18625568A2804770.en, accessed 2024.08.27.

Loc, Phan Ke, Phan Vam Te, Phan Ke Long, J. Regalado, and Leonid V. Averyanov. 2017. Native Conifers of Vietnam – a Review. Pakistan Journal of Botany 49(5):2037–68.

Wang, Jie, Chao-Nan Fu, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Michael Möller, Jun-Bo Yang, Zhi-Rong Zhang, De-Zhu Li, and Lian-Ming Gao. 2022. Testing the Complete Plastome for Species Discrimination, Cryptic Species Discovery and Phylogenetic Resolution in Cephalotaxus (Cephalotaxaceae). Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 768810. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.768810, accessed 2024.08.26.

Zhang, Jian-Wei, Ashalata D’Rozario, Xiao-Qing Liang, and Zhe-Kun Zhou. 2019. Middle Miocene Cephalotaxus (Taxaceae) from Yunnan, southwest China, and its implications to taxonomy and evolution of the genus. Palaeoworld 28(3): 381-402.

See also

The species account at Threatened Conifers of the World.

Dai Z.-C., S.-S. QI, X.-H. Xing et al. 2010. Gray relational analysis on natural regeneration of rare and endangered species Cephalotaxus mannii Hook. f. and environment factors. Forest Resources Wanagement 2:50-56.

Du D.L., J. Su, Y.C. Fu et al. 2002. Genetic diversity of Cephalotaxus mannii, a rare and endangered plant. Acta Botanica Sinica 44(2):193-198.

Fu W.-Y., D.-L. Du, and Y.-W. Xing. 2003. Study on the protection and exploitation of Cephalotaxus mannii. Molecular Plant Breeding 1(5-6):795-799.

Qi S.-S.,Z.-C. Dai, C.C. Si et al. 2010. Investigation on the biodiversity of rare and endangered species Cephalotaxus mannii Hook. f. conservation community. Journal of Fujian Forestry Science and Technology 37(1):6-11.

Qi S.-S.,Z.-C. Dai, C.C. Si et al. 2010. Study on population structure and resource value of Cephalotaxus mannii Hook. f., a rare and endangered anti-cancer plant in Hainan. Forest Resources Wanagement 1:53-8.

Wang X-P and Y-S Wang. 1994. Factors caused endangerment of Hainan plumyew (Cephalotaxus mannii) and its conservation means. Guihaia 14(4):369-372.

Xiang Zhiqiang, Yucheng Liu, and Xintong Zhang. 2002. Quantitative analysis of the phenotypic structure of different populations of Cephalotaxus mannii. Journal of Ecology 21(5):18-21.