''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family,

Hamamelidaceae Hamamelidaceae, commonly referred to as the witch-hazel family, is a family of flowering plants in the order Saxifragales. The clade consists of shrubs and small trees positioned within the woody clade of the core Saxifragales. An earlier system ...

, native to eastern and southeastern Asia.

Taxonomy

Fossil record

Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossil pollen among the middle

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

Sarmatian The Sarmatians (; ; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples who dominated the Pontic–Caspian steppe, Pontic steppe from about the 5th century BCE to the 4t ...

palynoflora from the

Lavanttal The Lavanttal ('Lavant Valley', , Gams, Ivan. 1992. "Labotska dolina." ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'', vol. 6. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, pp. 87–87. or ; Southern Bavarian: ''Lovnthol'') lies in the Lavanttal Alps in southern Austria in the eas ...

Basin of Austria. The sediment containing the fossil pollen had accumulated in a lowland wetland environment with various vegetation units of mixed evergreen/deciduous broadleaved/conifer forests surrounding the wetland basin. Key relatives of the fossil taxa found with ''Distylium'' are presently confined to humid warm temperate environments, suggesting a

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

climate during the middle Miocene in Austria. ''Distylium''

macrofossil Macrofossils, also known as megafossils, are the preserved remnants of organic beings and their activities that are large enough to be visible without a microscope. The term ''macrofossil'' stands in opposition to the term microfossil. Microfoss ...

s of the Lower and Middle

, are known from the

lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...

mines of the Kaltennortheim Formation in the

Rhön Mountains The Rhön Mountains () are a group of low mountains (or ''Mittelgebirge'') in central Germany, located around the border area where the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia come together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end o ...

, central Germany, where it is associated with typical elements of the Mastixioid floras that attest to an optimal warm humid phase of the Miocene.The floral change in the tertiary of the Rhön mountains (Germany) by Dieter Hans Mai - Acta Paleobotanica 47(1): 135-143, 2007.

Species

;Selected species *'' Distylium buxifolium'' - China *'' Distylium chinense'' - China *''

Distylium chungii ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *'' Distylium cuspidatum'' - China *''

Distylium dunnianum ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium elaeagnoides ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium gracile ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium macrophyllum ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium myricoides ''Distylium myricoides'' is a species in the genus '' Distylium'' in the family Hamamelidaceae. It is native to southern China. Description ''Distylium myricoides'' is a woody evergreen perennial shrub or small tree. It flowers from April-June, ...

'' - China *''

Distylium pingpienense ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium racemosum ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - tree up to 20m; China, Korea, Japan (

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

)(known as Isunoki(イスノキ)/Nara(柞), Taiwan *''

Distylium tsiangii ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China

References

Flora of China: ''Distylium''

External links

* Hamamelidaceae genera Hamamelidaceae {{Saxifragales-stub