Yunnan plum yew
Cephalotaxus lanceolata
Family: Taxaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 20 m tall. The trunk is 40 cm across. The bark is purple and smooth. The branches hang down. The leafy branches are V shaped in cross section. The leaves spread at about 45° to the branch. They are 5-10 cm long by 4-7 mm wide and taper to the tip. The seeds are oval and 3.5-4.5 cm long.
There are about 10 Cephalotaxus species. Also put in the family Cephalotaxaceae. It is an endangered species in China.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in broad-leaved forest at about 1,900 m in Yunnan in China.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Myanmar, SE Asia
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Fruit, seeds
How it is grown
In China seeds are mature in September to November.