Cephalotaxus hainanensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Cupressales
Family: Taxaceae
Genus: Cephalotaxus
Species:
C. hainanensis
Binomial name
Cephalotaxus hainanensis
H.L.Li (1954)
Synonyms[2]
  • Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. thailandensis Silba (2000)
  • Cephalotaxus mannii subsp. thailandensis (Silba) Silba (2007)
  • Cephalotaxus sinensis subsp. hainanensis (H.L.Li) Silba (2007)

Cephalotaxus hainanensis is a species of conifer known by the common name Hainan plum-yew. It is native to southern China (Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan), southeastern Tibet, and Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam in northern Indochina.[2][3]

Description

When mature it is a tree 10 to 20 meters tall.[1] It has sickle-shaped or straight leaves, 2.0–4.5 cm long and 3.5–4.5 mm wide, with a truncate, circular truncate or nearly cordate base and an acute or slightly acute apex with edges rolling downwards when dry. Male cones are ca. 4–7 mm long, and seeds are 2.2–2.8 cm long and obovate-elliptic or obovoid.[3]

Range and habitat

This species grows in warmer temperate and subtropical montane rainforests.[1] It inhabits mixed forests and forested ravines from 800 to 1200 meters elevation.[3] It is sometimes a dominant species in the local ecosystem.[1]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by H. L. Li in 1954.[2] It was formerly considered endemic to the island of Hainan,[1] and some considered it a synonym of Cephalotaxus mannii.[4] A 2013 revision of the genus Cephalotaxus affirmed its status as a distinct species, and identified C. harringtonia var. thailandensis as a synonym.[3]

Conservation

The IUCN Red List assessed the species as Endangered, based on distribution only in Hainan.[1] The species is now considered to have a wider distribution in mainland China and northern Indochina.[2][3]

Uses

C. hainanensis is suggested to have antileukemia activity, and is widely used as an herbal remedy in China.[5] Exploitation of the bark and leaves is a potential threat to this species.[1] Logging has historically been a cause of its decline, but as logging is no longer allowed on Hainan,[1] much of the pressure is currently from illegal harvesting for Chinese remedies.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Yang, Y. & Liao, W. 2013. Cephalotaxus hainanensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. Downloaded on 1 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cephalotaxus hainanensis H.L.Li. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Xue-Dong Lang, Jain-Rong Su, Shu-Gang Lu & Zhi-Jun Zhang (2013). A taxonomic revision of the genus Cephalotaxus (Taxaceae). Phytotaxa 84 (1): 1–24 (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.84.1.1
  4. ↑ Tripp, Kim E. (1995). "Cephalotaxus: the plum yews" (PDF). Arnoldia. 55 (1): 25–39. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  5. ↑ Han, R. (1994). "Highlight on the studies of anticancer drugs derived from plants in China". Stem Cells. 12 (1): 53–63. doi:10.1002/stem.5530120110. PMID 8142920. S2CID 45118359.
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