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Taxaceae Gray, nom. cons. 1821Common namesThe yew family (2), [Chinese].
Taxonomic notesGenera 5, species 17 - 20: mainly Northern Hemisphere (2). The taxaceous conifers are generally regarded as being distinct from the other conifers; many authors have assigned them to a distinct Order, Taxales Knobl. 1890, and they have also been placed in a distinct Suborder, Taxineae Luerss. 1879, or have even been segregated at the Subclass rank as Taxidae Ehrend. ex Reveal 1996. Some authors have assigned Amentotaxus to a separate family (Amentotaxaceae Kud & Yamam. 1931), likewise Austrotaxus (Austrotaxaceae Nakai 1938) and Torreya (Torreyaceae Nakai 1938) (3).DescriptionEvergreen trees or shrubs, usually neither resinous nor aromatic (sharp- or foul-odored in Torreya), dioecious or monoecious. Bark scaly or fissured. Lateral branches well developed, similar to leading shoots; twigs terete, not densely clothed by leaves but ± ridged by decurrent leaf bases; longest internodes less than 1 cm; buds ± inconspicuous. Roots fibrous to woody. Leaves (needles) simple, persisting several years, shed singly, alternate [opposite], spirally arranged but often twisted so as to appear 2-ranked, linear to linear-lanceolate, decurrent; resin canals present or absent. Pollen cones maturing and shed annually, solitary or clustered, axillary on year-old branches, globose to ovoid, sporophylls bearing 2 - 16 microsporangia (pollen sacs); pollen ± spheric, not winged. Seed cones reduced to 1 - 2 ovules subtended by inconspicuous, decussate bracts, maturing in 1 - 2 seasons, axillary on year-old branches. Seeds 1 per "cone," erect, not winged, hard seed coat partially or wholly surrounded by a juicy, fleshy or leathery aril; cotyledons 2. Wood without resin ducts (1, 2).RangeEurope: Britain to N Iran. Asia: USSR, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Himal, India, Burma, Vietnam, Philippines. New Caledonia. N America: SE AK to CA, E Canada, E USA, FL, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador. S America.Big TreeOldestDendrochronologyEthnobotanyObservationsRemarksCitations(1) Silba 1986.(2) Hils, Matthew H. at the Flora of North America web site. (3) E-mail communication from James L. Reveal, 31-Dec-1998. See also: Burns and Honkala 1990.Canadian Forestry Service 1983. Farjon 1990. Hosie 1969. Little 1979. Pilger 1903, 1916 and 1926. Price 1990. Florin, R. 1948. On the morphology and relationship of the Taxaceae. Botanical Gazette 110:31-39. Krüssmann, G. 1972. Handbuch der Nadelgehölze. Berlin. | |
Taxaceae | Home] Last modified by Christopher J. Earle on 16-Mar-2000 |
