Taxus sumatrana

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Taxus sumatrana
Taxus sumatrana - Quarryhill Botanical Garden - DSC03460.JPG
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Cupressales
Family: Taxaceae
Genus: Taxus
Species:
T. sumatrana
Binomial name
Taxus sumatrana
(Miquel) de Laub.

Taxus sumatrana, or the Sumatran yew, is a large evergreen shrub and one of the eight species of yew. Its taxonomic namesake is indicative of the species being found in Indonesia (specifically, the island of Sumatra); however, T. sumatrana is also found in a number of South and Southeast Asian countries, including parts of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indochina, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Tibet. [2] :351 Given this broad geographical range, it is also known as the Taiwan yew, the Chinese yew, as well as the East Himalayan yew. [3] Plants of the World Online recognizes T. sumatrana as a synonym of Taxus wallichiana . [4]

Contents

T. sumatrana is typically found at elevations ranging from 400 to 3,100 m [5] and mainly in subtropical forests or on highland ridges. It is a government-protected species in Taroko National Park in Taiwan.

Appearance

Taxus sumatrana is a wide-trunked, bushy shrub that will eventually develop into a tree, attaining an average height of 14 m (approx. 45 feet). Its leaves are around 1.2–2.7 cm long and 2–2.5 mm wide (around 1”x1”), growing in two ranks along the branches and abruptly spiraling into an apex at the tip. [5] The foliage a pale yellow-green colour on the topside, with light green underneath. Its bark is grey-red which exfoliates in irregular, 1.5 mm (half an inch) thick flakes, which leave yellowish scars on the trunk almost immediately upon cutting. [5]

The Chinese yew has fleshy seeds that ripen into a red colour 6 mm long by 5 mm wide with flesh 4 mm thick. [2] :350–351

Uses

The wood is suitable as timber, but it grows very slow to be financially viable. [2] :351

On the Indian Subcontinent, the oil of T. sumatrana is traditionally used to mark a red tilaka on the foreheads of Brahmins. Chinese yews are also used for the crafting of clogs, whip handles, bed frames and bows (archery).

Related Research Articles

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Taxus is a genus of coniferous trees or shrubs known as yews in the family Taxaceae. Yews occur around the globe in temperate zones of the northern hemisphere, northernmost in Norway and southernmost in the South Celebes. Some populations exist in tropical highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxaceae</span> Family of conifers

Taxaceae, commonly called the yew family, is a coniferous family which includes six extant and two extinct genera, and about 30 species of plants, or in older interpretations three genera and 7 to 12 species.

<i>Taxus baccata</i> Species of conifer in the family Taxaceae

Taxus baccata is a species of evergreen tree in the family Taxaceae, native to Western Europe, Central Europe and Southern Europe, Northwest Africa, northern Iran, and Southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be referred to as the common yew, English yew, or European yew. It is primarily grown as an ornamental. Most parts of the plant are poisonous, with toxins that can be absorbed through inhalation and through the skin; consumption of even a small amount of the foliage can result in death.

Pseudotaxus chienii, the whiteberry yew, is a species of plant in the yew family, Taxaceae. It is the sole species in the genus Pseudotaxus, but closely related to the other yews in the genus Taxus. It is endemic to southern China, occurring in northern Guangdong, northern Guangxi, Hunan, Southwest Jiangxi and southern Zhejiang.

<i>Taxus cuspidata</i> Species of plant

Taxus cuspidata, the Japanese yew or spreading yew, is a member of the genus Taxus, native to Japan, Korea, northeast China and the extreme southeast of Russia.

<i>Taxus brevifolia</i> Species of conifer

Taxus brevifolia, the Pacific yew or western yew, is a species of tree in the yew family Taxaceae native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. It is a small evergreen conifer, thriving in moisture and otherwise tending to take the form of a shrub.

<i>Phyllocladus aspleniifolius</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Taxus canadensis</i> Species of plant

Taxus canadensis, the Canada yew or Canadian yew, is a conifer native to central and eastern North America, thriving in swampy woods, ravines, riverbanks and on lake shores. Locally called simply "yew", this species is also referred to as American yew or ground-hemlock.

Taxus celebica is a large, evergreen shrub or tree of the yew family (Taxaceae), widespread in China at elevations up to 900 meters. It is commonly called Chinese yew though the term also refers to the Taxus chinensis or Taxus sumatrana.

<i>Taxus wallichiana</i> Species of conifer

Taxus wallichiana, the Himalayan yew, is a species of yew, native to the Himalaya and parts of south-east Asia. The species has a variety of uses in traditional medicine. It is currently classified as endangered by the IUCN.

<i>Taxus chinensis</i> Species of conifer

Taxus chinensis is a species of yew. It is commonly called the Chinese yew, though this term also refers to Taxus celebica or Taxus sumatrana.

<i>Taxus floridana</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Taxus globosa</i> Species of conifer

Taxus globosa, the Mexican yew, is an evergreen shrub and one of the eight species of yew. The Mexican yew is a rare species, only known to be found in a small number of locations in eastern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, and is listed as an endangered species. The Mexican yew is a shrub that grows to an average height of 4.6m. It has large, sharp light green needles growing in ranks on either side of its branches.

<i>Tsuga chinensis</i> Species of conifer

Tsuga chinensis, commonly referred to as the Taiwan or Chinese hemlock, or in Chinese as tieshan, is a coniferous tree species native to China, Taiwan, Tibet and Vietnam. The tree is quite variable and has many recognised varieties, though some are also maintained to be separate species by certain authorities. The tree was recently discovered in the mountains of northern Vietnam, making that the southernmost extension of its range.

<i>Leucopogon parviflorus</i> Species of plant

Leucopogon parviflorus, commonly known as coast beard-heath or native currant, is a shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae. It is native to all Australian states and territories excluding the Northern Territory and the ACT and also grows in New Zealand. The species can grow to between 1 and 5 metres in height and has leaves that are 11 to 29 mm long and 2.4 to 7.5 mm in width, often with curved tips. The white flowers are around 15 mm long and are produced in spikes of 7 to 13. These occur throughout the year.

<i>Eucalyptus cephalocarpa</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus cephalocarpa, commonly known as mealy stringybark or silver stringybark is a species of small to medium-sized tree, that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, Flower buds arranged in groups of seven, white flowers and conical, bell-shaped or hemispherical fruit.

<i>Hakea chordophylla</i> Species of shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae from central and northern Australia

Hakea chordophylla, commonly known as bootlace oak, bootlace tree, corkwood, or bull oak, is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae found in central and northern Australia. Bears very showy golden yellow, pale green or cream nectar rich flowers in winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yew</span> Index of plants with the same common name

Yew is a common name given to various species of trees.

<i>Taxus <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> media</i> Hybrid plant species

Taxus × media, sometimes known simply as Taxus media, is a conifer created by the hybridization of English yew Taxus baccata and Japanese yew Taxus cuspidata. This hybridization is thought to have been performed by the Massachusetts-based horticulturalist T.D. Hatfield in the early 1900s.

<i>Kunzea serotina</i> Species of shrub

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References

  1. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  2. 1 2 3 Markgraf, F. (1948). "Taxaceae". Flora Malesiana. 4 (1): 347–351 via Naturalis Institutional Repository.
  3. Richter, H.G., Gembruch, K., and Koch, G (2014). "CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval". www.delta-intkey.com. Retrieved 20 August 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "Taxus sumatrana (Miq.) de Laub". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 29 August 2023.