Cephalotaxus, commonly called plum yeworcowtail pine, is a genus of conifers comprising 11 species, either considered the only member of the family Cephalotaxaceae, or in the Taxaceae when that family is considered in a broad sense.[1][2] The genus is endemic to eastern Asia, though fossil evidence shows it had a wider Northern Hemisphere distribution in the past.[1] The species are evergreenshrubs and small trees reaching 1.0–10 metres (3–33 ft) (rarely to 20 metres (66 ft)) tall.
The leaves are spirally arranged on the shoots, but twisted at the base to lie in two flat ranks (except on erect leading shoots); they are linear, 4–12 centimetres (1+1⁄2–4+3⁄4in) long and 3–4 millimetres (1⁄8–5⁄32in) broad, soft in texture, with a blunt tip; this helps distinguish them from the related genus Torreya, which has spine-tipped leaves.[2]
The species can be either monoeciousordioecious; when monoecious, the male and female cones are often on different branches. The male (pollen) cones are 5–8 millimetres (13⁄64–5⁄16in) long, grouped in lines along the underside of a shoot. The female (seed) cones are single or grouped two to 15 together on short stems; minute at first, they mature in about 18 months to a drupe-like structure with the single large nut-like seed 1.5–4 centimetres (5⁄8–1+5⁄8in) long surrounded by a fleshy covering, green to purple at full maturity. Natural dispersal is thought to be aided by squirrels which bury the seeds for a winter food source; any seeds left uneaten are then able to germinate.[2]
Cephalotaxus species produce cephalotaxine, an alkaloid. Parry et al 1980 provides evidence that cephalotaxine is a phenylethylisoquinoline. However, they also find this genus to be unable to incorporate cinnamic acid into cephalotaxine, and incorporation of cinnamic acid is usually a step in phenylethylisoquinoline syntheses, throwing the phenylethylisoquinoline theory in to question.[3]
Molecular studies place Cephalotaxus as the most basal member of the Taxaceae, having a very ancient divergence from them during the late Triassic.[4] Historically, it was placed as the only member of the family Cephalotaxaceae, due to strong morphological differences from other members of Taxaceae,[5] but major authorities consider the family synonymous with Taxaceae.[6][7]
The taxonomy of Cephalotaxus is difficult, because the species have been defined using characteristics that intergrade with each other, such as the length and shape of needles, bark, and stomatal band color. Cephalotaxus species have often been separated geographically rather than morphologically.[8]
The oldest fossils of Cephalotaxus are known from the EoceneofHeilongjiang in northeast China and the Messel Pit of Germany. The youngest fossils of Cephalotaxus in Europe date to the Pliocene, and remains are also known from the Miocene of western North America.[11][12]
