- Amentotaxus
Taxobox
name = "Amentotaxus"
image_caption = Fossil "Amentotaxus" needles
regnum =Plant ae
divisio =Pinophyta
classis = Pinopsida
ordo =Pinales
familia =Cephalotaxaceae
genus = "Amentotaxus"
genus_authority = Pilg.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Amentotaxus argotaenia " "Amentotaxus assamica " "Amentotaxus formosana " "Amentotaxus poilanei " "Amentotaxus yunnanensis ""Amentotaxus" (Catkin-yew) is a genus of conifers comprising five species, treated in either the
Cephalotaxaceae , or in theTaxaceae when that family is considered in a broad sense. The genus is endemic to subtropical southeasternAsia , fromTaiwan west across southernChina toAssam in the easternHimalaya , and south toVietnam . The species areevergreen shrub s and smalltree s reaching 2-15 m tall.The leaves are spirally arranged on the shoots, but twisted at the base to lie in two flat ranks (except on erect leading shoots); they are linear-lanceolate, 4-12 cm long and 6-10 mm broad, soft in texture, with a blunt tip, green above, and with two conspicuous white
stomata l bands below. They differ from the related genus "Cephalotaxus " in the broader leaves, and from "Torreya " by the blunt, not spine-tipped leaves.The species can be either monoecious or dioecious; when monoecious, the male and female cones are often on different branches. The male (
pollen ) cones arecatkin -like, 3-15 cm long, grouped in clusters of 2-6 together produced from a single bud. The female (seed ) cones are single or grouped a few together on short stems; minute at first, they mature in about 18 months to adrupe -like structure with the single large nut-like seed 1.5-3 cm long surrounded by a fleshy covering, orange to red at full maturity; the apex of the seed usually protrudes slightly out of the fleshy covering.External links
* [http://www.conifers.org/ta/am/index.htm Gymnosperm Database]
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=101339 Flora of China]
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