Topic #13: Taxaceae

• Much branched small trees and shrubs.
• They are Evergreen
• Leaves are linear or Acicular and slender, to lanceolate with spiral to decussate formation
• Seed cones are reduced to one ovule
• Aril

  • specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed.
• Arillate seed

  • surrounded by fleshy structure called aril which becomes red at maturity
• Only one scale in female cone which is already the Aril.
• Enumerate the genera under Taxaceae:

  • Taxus
  • Amentotaxus
  • Austrotaxus
  • Pseudotaxus
  • Cephalotaxus
  • Torreya
• Cephalotaxus is the genus under the Family Taxaceae that is endemic to Eastern Asia
• What Cephalotaxus species is being shown in the picture?

  A) Cephalotaxus harringtonia