What Plant Is the Cathaya? Introducing the Cathaya
The Cathaya is often called a “living fossil plant”, a “pearl of the forest sea”, the “giant panda among plants”, so what kind of plant is this precious Cathaya? And what nature reserves are there in China?
1. What plant is the Cathaya?
The Cathaya is an evergreen tree up to 10-20 m tall; it is a gymnosperm belonging to the pine family. In China it is distributed in Hunan, Chongqing, Guizhou and Guangxi, mainly growing in mountainous areas at an altitude of 940-1870 m.
2. Detailed introduction to the Cathaya
The bark of the Cathaya is dark gray; the upper end of the internodes of the branchlets is thicker, while the large branches spread out flat; the leaves are linear, more or less sickle-shaped and curved or straight, with a rounded tip and a base that gradually narrows into an indistinct petiole; the upper surface is dark green and sparsely covered with soft hairs, with denser short brown hairs along the sunken midrib.
The cones of the Cathaya are green before maturity, and the color gradually deepens over time, finally turning dark brown, which indicates that the cones are ripe. The shape of the cones is generally ovoid, long ovoid or long elliptic, nearly round or somewhat flattened-round to egg-shaped round.
The Cathaya needs to grow under certain light conditions; it generally flowers and is pollinated in May each year, and the cones generally mature in October.
The specific distribution areas of the Cathaya are Hunan: Zixing, Guidong and Leixian in the southeast and Shajiaodong in Chengbu County in the southwest; Chongqing: Jinfoshan, Baizhishan, Qingzhushan and Baimashan in Wulong County; Guizhou: Dashahne in Daozhen County and Baizhishan in Tongzi County; Guangxi: Huaping in Longsheng County in the north and Dayaoshan in Jinxiu County in the east.
3. What nature reserves for the Cathaya are there in China?
1. Jinfoshan Nature Reserve
Located in Nanchuan District, Chongqing, it currently has 1978 Cathaya trees; the tallest one is 16 m high with a DBH of 53 cm.
2. Huaping Nature Reserve
It is a primeval forest area, and the main peak, Weiqingling, is 1895 m above sea level. The annual average temperature is 12-14°C.
3. Jinxiu Cathaya Park
The park contains 10 Cathaya trees, forming a mixed forest with many precious tree species such as the South China five-needle pine and the rhododendron niupidu; one of the Cathaya trees has a DBH of 86.9 cm, a tree height of 30.65 m, and an age of more than 50 years, and is known as the King of Cathaya.