Amentotaxus formosana
Species of conifer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amentotaxus formosana, the Taiwan catkin yew, is a species of conifer in the family Taxaceae.[2][3] It is a small tree to 10 m (33 ft) tall, with a slender trunk.[4] It was previously recognised as a variant of Amentotaxus argotaenia.[1]
| Amentotaxus formosana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Amentotaxus formosana underside of foliage showing stomata, Strybing Arboretum, San Francisco | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnosperms |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Cupressales |
| Family: | Taxaceae |
| Genus: | Amentotaxus |
| Species: | A. formosana |
| Binomial name | |
| Amentotaxus formosana | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Amentotaxus formosana is found only in Taiwan where it only occurs in four localities of cloud forest in the Hengchun Peninsula, in the extreme south of the island.[1] IUCN considers A. formosana as critically endangered because of its populations are small and threatened by habitat loss.[1] The populations are characterized by very low levels of genetic diversity.[5]
The wood is used for making furniture and handicrafts, etc., and the species is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental tree.[4]
