Common Name:

General Information

Pseudotaxus chienii is an evergreen shrub that can grow around 4 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental.
Pseudotaxus chienii has undergone a suspected population reduction in the past three generations (> 90 years) of more than 30% due to exploitation and habitat loss. The reduction is likely to be continuing but probably not at the same rate. It is uncertain if the reduction has exceeded the 50% threshold required for listing as Endangered. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Southeast China (northern Guangdong, northern Guangxi, northwestern and southern Hunan, southwestern Jiangxi, southern Zhejiang)

Habitat

An understorey plant in evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forests at elevations from 700 -1,500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Pseudotaxus chienii is found in warm temperate regions of southeastern China. The climate there is temperate, cool and humid, with a mean annual precipitation around 1,800 - 2,000mm and frequent cloud cover or fog[]. Although the plant is tolerant of winter cold, surviving temperatures falling to around -20°c, it also requires a lot of summer humidity and heat, with temperatures of around 30°c. Consequently, the plant often does not thrive in maritime climates and other areas with cool summers[].
The plant grows in the wild in shallow yellow earth (pH 4.2-4.5), or in crevices on acidic rock, often on precipices above streams[].
Growing best in the shade of woodland, with exposure to sun its growth becomes retarded and the habit changes to a low shrub[].
Seed production is infrequent, with seed maturation from early to mid spring and seeds remain dormant for a year or more[].
The species is in cultivation as an ornamental on a limited scale in Zhejiang, but is little known outside China[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The wood is used as a carving material and for making utensils[].

Propagation

Seed - can be very slow to germinate, often taking 2 or more years[, ]. It is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn when it should germinate 18 months later. Stored seed may take 2 years or more to germinate. 4 months warm followed by 4 months cold stratification may help reduce the germination time[]. Harvesting the seed 'green' (when fully developed but before it has dried on the plant) and then sowing it immediately has not been found to reduce the germination time because the inhibiting factors develop too early[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in pots in a cold frame. The seedlings are very slow-growing and will probably require at least 2 years of pot cultivation before being large enough to plant out. Any planting out is best done in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts[].
Cuttings of half-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 8cm long, July/August in a shaded frame. Should root by late September but leave them in the frame over winter and plant out in late spring[]. High percentage[].
Cuttings of ripe terminal shoots, taken in winter after a hard frost, in a shaded frame[].
Layering the stems. Plants often self-layer in the wild[].