Cathaya argyrophylla

Chinese cathaya, called 银杉 (yin shan) in Chinese, is a coniferous tree in the pine or Pinaceae family and is native to parts of China at 950–1,800 m in elevation, growing up to 20 m tall. Shoots and needles resemble those of the larches (Larix).

• Shoots grow both long and short, similar to Larix, the long shoots with alternate rapid and slow growths that result in sets of leaves alternating with denser tufts; the lateral short shoots bear solitary leaves packed densely, appearing clustered.
• Leaves are dark green, 4–6 cm long by 2.5–3 mm wide on long branchlets, but nearly clustered into a whorl on short branchlets where they are not usually longer than 3 cm. They are spirally arranged, radially spreading, linear-oblanceolate with entire, slightly revolute margins and a rounded apex, slightly curved or straight. The leaf surface is pubescent and densely pubescent along grooves.
• The species is monoecious; pollen cones (strobili) form in sets of 1 to 3 from axillary buds on branchlets. Seed cones are green at first, maturing to a dark brown, ovoid or ellipsoid, 3–5 cm long by 1.5–3 cm broad. They are initially erect but become pendulous, maturing in the first year but often persistent for many years.
• The bark on mature trees dark is gray, irregularly flaking.