''Falcatifolium taxoides'' is a species of
conifer
Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All ex ...
in the family
Podocarpaceae
Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pre ...
. It is found only in
New Caledonia, and is the only known host of its non-photosynthetic, possibly parasitic relative, ''
Parasitaxus usta''.
Etymology
''Falcatifolium'' means 'with sickle-shaped leaves', while ''taxoides'' means 'yew-like' (resembling ''
Taxus
''Taxus'' is a genus of coniferous trees or shrubs known as yews in the family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of , with trunk girth averaging . They have reddish bark, lanceolate, flat, ...
'').
[Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 162, 372]
References
Podocarpaceae
Least concern plants
Endemic flora of New Caledonia
Trees of New Caledonia
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Taxa named by Jean Antoine Arthur Gris
Taxa named by Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart
Taxa named by David John de Laubenfels
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