 | Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lambert) HookerCommon NamesChina-fir (3), ShanMu (Chinese).Taxonomic notesSyn: C. unicanaliculata (1); C. sinensis R.Br. (4).Description"A tree up to 25 m high. Crown conical. Bark brown, in irregular scales, reddish inside. Branches on young trees in whorls, and on older trees irregularly arranged. Shoots initially green. Needles densely arranged, on lateral branches mostly 2-ranked, otherwise radially arranged, widened at the base, 3-7 cm long, 0.5 cm wide, sickle-shaped, linear-lanceolate, leathery, tough, acuminate, margin slightly serrate, upper surface glossy, lower surface with 2 broad, whitish bands. Cones 2.5-5 cm long, globose-ovate; wood fragrant and durable" (4).RangeChina: S and C regions in mountains to 1300 m (4), and Taiwan, e.g. Hualien Xian: Taroko National Park: en route from Hsinpiyang to Pilu. Elevation 1500-2050 m. Xinchu Xian: Wufeng Hsiang: between Tuchang and Kuanwu. Broadleaf forest; vast slope cleared for Prunus orchard. Elevation 1300 m. Nantou Xian: Jenai Hsiang: National Chung Hsing. University Hui-Sun Experimental Forest. Along the forest road to Tang-kungpei; mixed coniferous-broadleaf forest. 121:02:17E, 24:05:20N. Elevation:600-800 m. Forest roadside. Plantation tree ca. 15-20 m tall; DBH ca. 10-20 cm cone ca. 2.5 cm diameter (2).Big TreeOldestDendrochronologyEthnobotanyObservationsFairly common in the mountains of Sichuan, e.g. the ranges east of the Dadu River (where I have seen it). Taroko National Park in Taiwan also looks like an interesting place to see it.RemarksListed as threatened in Viet Nam by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.Citations(1) Silba 1986.(2) Botanical Inventory Of Taiwan. (3) Watson, F.D. & J.E. Eckenwalder at the Flora of North America web page. (4) Vidakovic 1991. See also: G. Mueller-Starck and Liu Y.Q. 1988. Genetics of Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook: 1. Genetic analysis. Silvae Genetica 37(5-6):236-243. G. Mueller-Starck and Liu Y.Q. 1989. Genetics of Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook. 2. Genetic variation within and between two provenance samples. Silvae Genetica 38(5-6):172-177. Yeh F.C., Shi J., Yang R., Hong J. and Ye Z. 1994. Genetic diversity and multilocus associations in Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook from the People's Republic of China. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 88(3-4):465-471. |
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