Cephaltaxus comes from the greek name "Kephale" which means head . Taxus is just the attachment added to the end for the yew genus. Together these prefixes mean "Head yew" which is in reference to the flower structures that appear as tight clusters or heads . The needle like leaves resemble a yew thus the name "head yew". [1] The common name Plum Yew comes from the cones that look like a plum in both shape and color. It use to be included in other taxons like Torreya, Taxus, and Pseudotaxus, but key embryogeny and development of Cephalotaxus were distinct enough to set it apart as it's own species. Scientists thought that the Taiwan Plum Yew was a variation of C.sinenisis due to similar morphology however DNA evidence suggests that the Taiwan Plum Yew is closer related to its Japanese cousin C.harringtonii .[2]
The Taiwan Plum Yew is endemic to Taiwan. It is found in the following counties, Chiayi, Hisinchu, Hualien, Nantou, Yilan and Taipei.
This species can be found growing in humus rich soil or gravel cliffs. They appear as small tress or bushes in the understories of wet subtropical forests or warm-temperate forests. Cephalotaxus prefer light to full shade.This variation grows in deciduous/evergreen forests on the island. Typically they are a low to mid altitude species. However, this variant prefers an elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. [3]
Overall the Cephalotaxus genus has a wide range from tropical to cool climate temperatures due to cultivation of some variants to be more tolerant to cold.
The foliage is similar to True Yews (Taxus baccata). The leaves appear to be in two linear rows opposite each other on the stem together they look like a v, but on the base of the leaves are arranged in a spiral on the stem. [4] The foliage is a rich green when they are mature. New shoots are a bright green and darken after three to four years. [5] The bark flakes off easily due to the scaly texture. The bark is brown with red or purple undertones. However, this species reproductive strobolil (Taxus baccata).
What sets this variation apart is the reproductive Strobilus. The seed of the plum yew large compared to a true yew. It's about the size of an olive or small plum hence the name. The seed is enclosed by a hard, thin shell and a fleshy outer coat. The outer coat will change colors as the seed ripens from a blue-green to a rich red and finally to a purple-brown. Once it turns purple-brown the fleshy outside degrades causing it to detach from the seed.
This species is dioecious meaning the male and female strobili are on different plants. Male strobili are created in clusters of anthers attached to a flat head. The anthers are about a quarter of an inch (.25) in diameter and are arranged in the axils of the leaves . Females strobili develop in ovules. Often found in pairs of six to twelve these ovules are attached to a mauve colored cone that is oval shaped. That cone will start to expand starting with half an inch (.5) and expand further (1.25 inches) when its matured. One seed matures per cone and three to five female cones are grown on stalks near or at the end of the current or last years branch. Female cones are Wind-pollinated.
Seeds have a long maturation time the pollen cones usually take nine to eleven months from initiation to dispersal. Female cones take twenty one months to mature from initiation.
Cultivation of this variant Cephaltaxus harringtonia wilsoniana is very rare and limited to a few nurseries. However C.harringtonii is more well known and is cultivated in Europe and North America for landscaping and gardening purposes. People like Cephaltaxus and use trees in this species overall as bushes, pot plants, foundation plants, or ground covers
This variation of Cephaltaxus harringtonii is considered endangered due to habitat loss caused by logging, population fragmentation, and ground clearance to make room for Cryptomeria plantations. Cephaltaxus harringtonii is concentrated in the northern part of Taiwan where conservation is widespread.
The wood of Cephaltaxus species is used for fire and medicinal purposes. The seeds from female cones are also collected for oil. It is increasingly used in medicine because of the anticancer compounds found in the vegetative tissues and seeds. There has been experiments run with the ester alkaloids, but no therapeutic applications have been made public.