Conservation Status
Taxus qinlingensis
秦岭红豆杉 Qínlǐng hóngdòu shān; Qinling yew (Wu et al. 2024).
Type: China, Shanxi, Xi’an City, Zhouzhi County, 108.23° N, 33.87° E, elevation 1100 m, 2019.07.23, Yafeng Wen WZZ201901 (holotype CSFI).
This species was finally identified following a long period of disagreement about the phylogeny of Chinese yews in general (see Taxus for discussion). It is clearly distinct from other Chinese yews based on molecular analysis of the ITS, trnL-trnF, and rbcL sequences. These molecular differences are supported by definite (albeit small) morphological differences as well as ecological differences: the species occupies a small and clearly-defined niche (Wu et al. 2024). Möller et al. (2020) proposed that the "Qinling type", now T. qinlingensis, arose via a late Miocene hybridization event.
Evergreen dioecious or occasionally monoecious trees to 25 m tall and 130 cm dbh. Bark thin, light red, purple-brown, or gray, split into strips or irregular flakes. Branches numerous, ascending to erect, then spreading or drooping, forming a spreading, rounded, or pyramidal crown. Twigs irregularly alternate, round, finely grooved along decurrent leaf bases, yellowish-green turning green to brown. Winter buds ovoid, scales persistent at base of shoots. Leaves distichously arranged, loose on twigs with leaf base twisted and spirally inserted, nearly sessile, thinned leathery, linear or falcate, 20–30 × 2.5–3.5 mm, apex acute and aristulate, with revolute margins. Leaf adaxial color glossy yellowish green to dark green. Leaf abaxial side has two yellowish stomatal bands, no papillae on the midvein, and both the midvein and the leaf edges shiny. Midvein length 0.3-0.4 mm. Pollen cones axillary, form rows on either side along the fertile shoots, short-pedunculate, ovoid with basal bracts, yellowish green to yellow, having 8–14 peltate microsporophylls each with 4–6(-8) pollen sacs. Seed cones axillary, solitary, ovoid, and subsessile. Aril green at first, covering the lower part of the seed, swelling to succulent red (usually translucent); apex free, cup-like, 8–10 ×7–10 mm. Seeds ovoid or obovoid, slightly flattened, with two obtuse ridges and a protruding apex, 5.0–8.0 mm long, 3.5–5.0 mm in diameter, green to brown or black. Flowers February to April, seed cones mature September to December (Wu et al. 2024).
Resembles Taxus mairei in leaf characters and elevation distribution, but lacks papillae on midvein and tannins in the epidermis (Wu et al. 2024). Note that conclusive identification of both characters requires microscopic examination of stained leaf cross-sections; see Wu et al. (2024) for details.
China: primarily, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, and Shanxi at 500-1600 m elevation in deciduous broadleaf forest. However, it has also been found in northwestern Sichuan (Danba, Songpan) and in Yunnan, at elevations of 2300–2500 and 1700–2000 m respectively (Wu et al. 2024). Elevation seems to be important in defining the species' niche relative to other Chinese species of Taxus, Wu et al. (2024) report that when T. qinlingensis is sympatric with T. chinensis and T. wallichiana, it occurs at elevations lower than 1500 m. Also, principal components analysis of environmental factors and species distribution models reveal that "elevation was the main driving factor in the differentiation of Taxus species".
(Curiously, Wu et al. [2024] state that their description above is based on examination of specimens from Shaanxi, Gansu, and Henan, but Gansu is not listed as within the species' range, while they evidently did not examine specimens from Hubei, Shanxi, Sichuan or Yunnan.)
Wu et al. (2024), applying IUCN criteria, regard T. qinlingensis as "Endangered"; the known area of occupancy is about 164 km2, and the total number of mature trees is less than 30,000. The authors add that some trees are distributed around villages, where they are known as fengshui trees (thereby receiving some spiritually-based protection), while others are distributed in mountains that are not easy to access.
No data as of 2026-04-05.
No data as of 2026-04-05.
Wu et al. (2024) provide some detail on collection locations, but do not comment on access to these locations.
The epithet refers to the species' type locality in the Qinling Mountains, a large east-west trending range in southern Shaanxi.
Möller M, Liu J, Li Y, et al. 2020. Repeated intercontinental migrations and recurring hybridizations characterize the evolutionary history of yew (Taxus L). Mol Phylogenet Evol 153:106952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106952.
Wu, X., M. Wang, X. Li, Y. Chen, Z. Liao, D. Zhang, Y. Wen, and S. Wang. 2024. Identification and characterization of a new species of Taxus — Taxus qinlingensis by multiple taxonomic methods. BMC Plant Biology 24:658. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05338-4.
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