Cathaya

The birds in the tree ( Cathaya argyrophylla ) is the only species in the monotypic genus Cathaya. The genus name is derived from the old name " Cathay " for China. Classify this taxon in the subfamily of Laricoideae within the family (Pinaceae ).

Occurrence

The birds in the tree is endemic to China in Sichuan Province and rare. He is present there in the low mountain ranges 1400-1800 meters.

The discovery of this species in 1955 was a similar sensation as the discovery of Metasequoia glyptostroboides 1945 Wollemia nobilis in 1994 and Xanthocyparis vietnamensis 2001., The birds in the tree is, together with several other species such as the dawn redwood ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides ), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and five species from the family Ephedraceae to a whole group of domiciled in the same province in China living fossils. This is still occurring plant species represent a relict flora

It has been found 10 to 30 million year old fossils of the genus Cathaya. In terms of higher plant species of the genus were common in many parts of Asia and Europe.

Description

When birds in the tree is 40 cm centimeters reached a evergreen tree, the plant height of 20 meters and trunk diameter ( DBH). The upright growing tree reminiscent in appearance to the genus of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga), in which he had been formerly classified. The main branches grow from the trunk of horizontally outwards. On mature trees the bark is dark gray. The bark of the branches is only yellow-brown and gray-yellow pubescent at first, later it is dark yellow and smooth. The buds are light yellow brown. The photosynthetic leaves are formed, as in all plants as pine needles. The needles are 2.5 to 5 cm long.

The birds in the tree is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ), so there are male and female cones on a tree. One to three male cones are axillary together on branch. The female cones are only green and dark brown at maturity; they have a length of 3 to 5 cm and a diameter of 1.5 to 3 cm and fall off after the pouring of the seeds. The dark green colored with bright green spots seed is 5-6 mm long and 3-4 mm wide, its yellow-brown wing 1 to 1.5 cm × 4-6 mm.

The seedlings have three to four cotyledons ( cotyledons ).

System

The original first description of Woonyong Chun and Kuang Keren appeared in 1958, but was invalid for technical reasons, since two species were described at the same time and the type species was not specified. The first description of the ultimately valid Chun & Kuang was published in 1962 in Acta Botanica Sinica, 10 ( 3 ), pp. 246. There are known the following synonyms:

• Pseudotsuga argyrophylla ( Chun & Kuang ) Greguss
• Tsuga argyrophylla ( Chun et Kuang ) de Laubenfels et Silba
• Cathaya nanchuanensis Chun et Kuang ( These individuals was regarded as a separate species, but they differ only due to environmental influences, a bit different from other plants of the species from ).

Note

Even the handkerchief tree ( Davidia involucrata ) is often referred to as the birds in the tree.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle, 2007: Information on Art from The Gymnosperm Database. (Section Description and systematics)
• Liguo Fu, Nan Li, Thomas S. Elias & Robert R. Mill: Pinaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 4, page 37: genus and species (Section Description and dissemination )