Vasilis Teodoridis:
Taxaceae | Taxus
2. Taxus wallichiana Zuccarini; Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 3: 803. 1843.
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Trees or shrubs to 30 m tall; trunk to 1.3 m d.b.h.; bark variably colored; grayish brownish; reddish; or purplish; peeling off in strips or cracking and falling off as thin scales; winter bud scales early deciduous or some persistent at base of branchlets; triangular-ovate; with or without longitudinal ridges abaxially. Leafy branchlets ± flat in living state; 3-9 x 1.5-6 cm in outline. Leaves borne at (50-)60-90° to branchlet axis; subsessile or with petiole to 1 mm; blade dark green and glossy adaxially; paler abaxially; linear to lanceolate; gradually tapered distally; usually falcate; (0.9-)1.5-3.5(-4.7) cm x (1.5-)2-4(-5) mm; midvein slightly elevated adaxially; 0.1-0.2 mm wide; densely and evenly papillate abaxially; or with papillae scattered on midvein or in 1-several lateral rows adjacent to stomatal band; or midvein not papillate; stomatal bands pale yellowish; 0.6-0.9 mm wide; densely and evenly papillate; marginal bands 0.1-0.4 mm wide; base cuneate or attenuate; asymmetric; margin flat to revolute; apex gradually acuminate or abruptly tapered and indistinctly mucronate; mucro 0.1-0.5 mm. Pollen cones scattered along 2nd year branchlet axis; ± sessile or shortly pedunculate (peduncle ca. 0.5 mm); pale yellowish; ovoid; 5-6 x ca. 3 mm; bracts usually 6; broadly ovate; pale green; microsporophylls 8-14; each with (4 or)5 or 6(-8) pollen sacs. Seed-bearing structures borne toward distal end of branchlet axis. Aril red or orange when ripe; often ± translucent. Seed ovoid or obovoid; occasionally columnar-oblong; sometimes slightly flattened; 5-8 x 3.5-5 mm; usually with obtuse ridges (sometimes trigonous and 3-ridged); apex with small mucro; hilum elliptic to suborbicular or rounded-trigonous. Pollination Sep-Apr; seed maturity Aug-Dec.
Broad-leaved; coniferous; and mixed forests; thickets; deforested rocks; open slopes; 100-3500 m. S Anhui; Fujian; S Gansu; N Guangdong; N Guangxi; Guizhou; W Henan; W Hubei; Hunan; Jiangxi; S Shaanxi; Sichuan; Taiwan; SE Xizang; Yunnan; Zhejiang [Bhutan; N India; ?Laos; Myanmar; Sikkim; Vietnam]
Can be used within its native range for afforestation. The wood is an excellent building material; and is also used in making vehicles; agricultural implements; furniture; and stationery. A compound recently isolated from the leaves may prove promising as an antitumor agent
2c. Taxus wallichiana var. mairei (Lemée & H. Léveillé) L. K. Fu & Nan Li; Novon. 7: 263. 1997.
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Tsuga mairei Lemee & H. Léveillé; Monde Pl. 2(16): 20. 1914; Taxus chinensis (Pilger) Rehder var. mairei (Lemee & H. Léveillé) W. C. Cheng & L. K. Fu; T. mairei (Lemee & H. Léveillé) S. Y. Hu ex T. S. Liu; T. speciosa Florin.
Leaves linear; usually falcate and 2-3.5 cm x 2.5-4 mm; thick; midvein of different color to stomatal band; not papillate; or with papillae scattered on midvein or in 1-several lateral rows adjacent to stomatal band; margin revolute.
Coniferous and mixed forests; thickets; deforested rocks; open slopes; 100-3500 m (but usually at lower elevations than var. chinensis; especially in the E; typically below 1200 m; ascending to over 3000 m in Sichuan and Yunnan). S Anhui; Fujian; S Gansu; N Guangdong; N Guangxi; Guizhou; W Henan; W Hubei; Hunan; Jiangxi; S Shaanxi; Sichuan; Taiwan; E Yunnan; Zhejiang [N India; ?Laos; Myanmar; Vietnam]