银杉属 yin shan shu

Trees evergreen; trunk monopodial, columnar, straight; branchlets apparently dimorphic: long branchlets with alternate rapid and slow growths that result in sets of leaves alternating with denser tufts; false short (lateral) branchlets bearing solitary leaves so densely as to appear clustered. Leaves spirally arranged, radially spreading, linear-oblanceolate, slightly curved or straight, flattened, longitudinally grooved adaxially, stomatal bands 2, abaxial, white, separated by an elevated midvein, vascular bundle 1, resin canals 2, marginal, margin entire, apex rounded. Pollen cones 1-3 from axillary buds on branchlets. Pollen 2-saccate, with visible cap on pole. Seed cones axillary, sessile, initially erect, finally pendulous, ovoid, maturing in 1st year, often persistent for many years. Seed scales suborbicular, woody, stiff, dehiscent at maturity, persistent. Bracts spatulate, apex tapering. Seeds obliquely ovoid; wing membranous. Cotyledons 3 or 4. Germination epigeal. 2n = 24*.

* One species: China.

The original description was by Chun & Kuang, Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 43: 464. 1958. However, the name was not validly published there because two species were described simultaneously and the type species was not indicated.

Lower Taxon

• Cathaya argyrophylla Chun & Kuang