Amentotaxus formosana H. L. Li

The wood is used for making furniture, farm implements, utensils, and handicrafts; the species is a also cultivated as an ornamental tree.

Trees to 10 m tall; trunk to 3 cm d.b.h.; main branches few. Leafy branchlets broadly ovate-rectangular in outline, (2.5-)7-12 × 14-18 cm, axis green in 1st and 2nd years, becoming brown striped in 3rd year, quadrangular or subterete. Leaves borne at 55-70° to branchlet axis, subsessile; petiole (if present) thick, to 1 mm; blade dark green adaxially, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, usually slightly but distinctly falcate, 5-8.5 cm × 5-10 mm, leathery, midvein 1-1.5 mm wide abaxially, with a narrow, green band ca. 0.5 mm wide on either side, stomatal bands white, ca. 2 mm wide, very dense (ca. 30 rows), ca. 2 × as wide as marginal bands, marginal bands 0.6-1.6 mm wide, base broadly cuneate or obtuse, margin revolute, apex long acuminate. Pollen-cone racemes borne (1-)3 or 4(or 5) together, ca. 3 cm; cones in 7-9 pairs, close together, subsessile (peduncle less than 1 mm), subglobose; bracts usually 7(-11) in 2-4 rows, keeled distal ones ca. 15 × 5 mm; microsporophylls ca. 10, 1.5-2 cm, recurved at maturity, each with 5-8 pollen sacs. Aril reddish yellow when ripe. Seed finally reddish purple, obovoid-ellipsoid, 2-2.5 × 0.9-1.1 cm, apex mucronulate; peduncle 1.5-2 cm, recurved at maturity; 2 rows of basal scales persistent. Pollination Feb, seed maturity Dec.

SE Taiwan

* Scattered in damp, shady places in tropical rainforests and broad-leaved subtropical forests, ravines, cliffs; 500-1300 m.

Amentotaxus yunnanensis H. L. Li var. formosana (H. L. Li) Silba.