Amentotaxus formosana | |
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Amentotaxus formosana underside of foliage showing stomata, Strybing Arboretum, San Francisco | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Gymnospermae |
Division: | Pinophyta |
Class: | Pinopsida |
Order: | Cupressales |
Family: | Taxaceae |
Genus: | Amentotaxus |
Species: | A. formosana
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Binomial name | |
Amentotaxus formosana H.L. Li
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Amentotaxus formosana, the Taiwan catkin yew, is a species of conifer in the family Taxaceae. It is a small tree to 10 m (33 ft) tall, with a slender trunk.[2] It was previously recognised as a variant of Amentotaxus argotaenia.[1]
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.[3]
The wood is used for making furniture and handicrafts, etc., and the species is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental tree.[2]