Amentotaxus argotaenia (Hance) Pilg.

Shrubs or small trees to 7 m. Leafy branchlets ascending or suberect, broadly rectangular to oblong-elliptic in outline, 4.5-8 × 8-15 cm, axis green in 1st year, greenish yellow to yellowish red in 2nd and 3rd years, quadrangular or subterete in cross section. Leaves borne at 45-95° to branchlet axis, subsessile or petiole to 3 mm, dark green adaxially, linear or linear-lanceolate, falcate or ± straight, 2-11 cm × 5-11 mm, leathery, with sclereids, mottled adaxially when fresh, rugose with transverse striations at ca. 90° to midvein when dry, midvein raised adaxially, scarcely so abaxially, 1-1.2 mm wide with a very narrow, indistinct green band 0.15-0.2 mm wide on either side, whole midvein band 1.2-2 mm wide, stomatal bands white, 1-2 mm wide, narrower than marginal bands, of 15-25 rows, marginal bands 1.4-3 mm wide, base cuneate to attenuate, asymmetric, margin flat or very narrowly revolute, apex dark, callose, rounded to sharply triangular, obtuse on basal 1-4 (often more) leaves of each branchlet, often acuminate on others. Pollen-cone racemes borne (1 or)2-4(-10) together, 1.5-6.5 cm; cones in ca. 12 pairs, ovoid, ca. 3.5 × 2.5-3.2 mm; bracts ca. 6 at base of otherwise naked peduncle, distal bract ca. 2.5 × 2 mm, keeled; microsporophylls 6-8, peltate, each with (2 or)3(-5) pollen sacs. Seed-bearing structures with peduncle to ca. 2/3 × length of subtending leaf. Aril bright red when ripe. Seed finally red, narrowly obovoid-ellipsoid, 1.9-2.6 × 1-1.3 cm, with small, mucronulate apex; peduncle 1.1-1.4 cm, compressed-quadrangular, dilated below bracts, naked. Pollination Apr, seed maturity Oct. 2n = 24.

A plant of the mid canopy, growing in montane forests, in ravines, on steep slopes or cliffs, on summits and ridges, on a variety of soil types, including limestone, sandstone, shale and granite; at elevations from 600-1,500 metres.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs scarification.