CHANGSHA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Foresters have found a large area of a rare tree species in central China's Hunan Province.
Swathes of the catkin yew (Amentotarus argotaenia) cover an area of more than 20 square km on a 800-meter mountain in Daxi County. More than 700 trees have been found, mostly concentrated on Shuiyuan Mountain, according to the provincial forestry department. The oldest is estimated to be more than 500 years old.
The catkin yew is a species unique to China and one of the most threatened plants worldwide. It originated about 140 million years ago during the late Cretaceous Period, and is one of the few plants to have survived the quaternary glaciation.
The discovery will be of significant value for research into the history of China's climate and botany, according to the department.
The local government has set up a reserve area to protect the trees.
