Amentotaxus argotaenia (Hance) Pilger var. yunnanensis (H. L. Li) P. C. Keng.

Trees to 15 m tall; trunk to 25 cm d.b.h.; main branches spreading to form a broad, ovoid crown. Leafy branchlets ascending, broadly oblong-ovate in outline, ca. 8 × 12 cm, axis green in 1st year, thereafter light yellow to light yellowish brown, ridged. Leaves borne at ca. 60° to branchlet axis, subsessile, linear, linear-lanceolate, or linear-elliptic, usually straight, sometimes slightly falcate distally, 3.5-10(-15) × 0.8-1.5 cm, thick and leathery, midvein prominently raised adaxially, 1-2 mm wide abaxially, stomatal bands brown or pale yellowish white when dry, 3-4 mm wide, at least 2 × as wide as marginal bands, very dense, in ca. 40 rows, marginal bands 1.5-2 mm wide, base broadly cuneate or obtuse, margin slightly downcurved, apex obtuse on basal 1-3 leaves of each branchlet, tapered on others. Pollen-cone racemes borne 4-6 together, 10-15 cm; bracts 16-20 in 4 rows of 4(or 5), keeled, distal bract 8-9 × 4-5 mm; pollen sacs (4-)6 or 7(or 8). Aril reddish purple when ripe, slightly white powdery, 2.2-3 × 1.4-1.5 cm. Seed ellipsoid, shortly beaked at apex; peduncle ca. 1.5 cm, relatively thick, flattened proximally but quadrangular distally. Pollination Apr, seed maturity Oct.

An endangered species in China. The wood is used in house building, in making furniture and agricultural implements, and as a carving material; the species is also cultivated as an ornamental tree.

Forming small patches of pure forest on limestone mountains; 1000-1600 m. SW Guizhou (Xingyi Xian), SE Yunnan [N Vietnam]