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Article: Taxaceae: the genera and cultivates species.
- Article from:
- The Botanical Review
- Article date:
- October 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 New York Botanical Garden. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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II. Introduction
The Taxaceae are a small group of gymnosperms constituting less than 2% of all gymnosperm species, with one of its genera, Taxus, a very widely cultivated ornamental shrub in the northern hemisphere.
Most taxa in the Taxaceae are rare or restricted in their distribution, although several species of Taxus are natively abundant and widely cultivated. Torreya taxifolia Arn. and Taxus floridarna Nutt. are endangered plants restricted to Florida and Georgia (Godfrey & Kurz, 1962; Ward, 1979). Taxus globosa Schldl. is a rare endemic of central Mexico. Austrotaxus and Pseudotaxus are known only from New Caledonia and the Zhejiang (Chekiang) ...