Typical Fortune Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus fortunei var. fortunei)

Fortune's Plum Yew
Silhouette: LeonardoG (photography) and T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) / License

Cephalotaxus fortunei var. fortunei: Fortune's Plum Yew

Featuring the longest needles among its relatives, this elegant evergreen conifer is widely distributed across the mountain valleys of southern China and northern Myanmar. It forms a graceful understory tree in mixed forests, thriving in moist, shaded environments.

As a wild-growing species, it plays an important ecological role in its native habitats. Its seeds and needles are toxic, deterring herbivores and protecting the plant from grazing.

Taxonomy

Morphology

This variety grows as a shrub or small tree, reaching up to 10 to 15 meters in height with a loose, open crown. The linear needles are notably long, measuring between 5 to 9 centimeters, and are arranged spirally but spread in two flat ranks.

Each needle is shiny deep green on the upper surface, while the lower surface displays two broad, white stomatal bands. The plant is dioecious, and the female specimens bear olive-like seeds enclosed in a fleshy aril that turns purple-brown when ripe.

  • Foliage: Exceptionally long, linear needles arranged in flat, two-ranked arrays.
  • Stomatal Bands: Two broad, silvery-white bands underneath the needles.
  • Seeds: Large, oval seeds completely enclosed in a fleshy aril.

Flowering season

Spring

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Name
Dec

Applications

Although toxic for consumption, the plant is of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry due to the presence of antileukemic alkaloids. The fine-grained wood is also valued locally for carving and building tools.

Interesting facts

The common name "Fortune's Plum Yew" honors the Scottish botanist Robert Fortune, who introduced many Chinese plants to Europe in the 19th century. The fleshy cover of the seed resembles a small plum, which gives the genus its common name.

Geography of distribution

  • Anhui
  • Fujian
  • Guangdong
  • Guangxi
  • Guizhou
  • Henan
  • Hubei
  • Hunan
  • Jiangsu
  • Jiangxi
  • Shaanxi
  • Sichuan
  • Yunnan
  • Zhejiang
  • Myanmar

Sources

  • World Flora Online (WFO)
  • Plants of the World Online (POWO)
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Technical Information

External Databases: GBIF