Botanists Discover Rare Conifer in Vietnam

An international team of botanists has discovered a new genus and species of conifer, a cone-bearing evergreen tree, in a remote part of northern Vietnam. The tree, classified as part of the cypress family, has been named Xanthocyparis vietnamensis, and was given the common name golden Vietnamese cypress. The tree is unusual because it bears two kinds of foliage: needles and scale leaves. It is endangered because it was discovered long ago by locals and is prized for its hard, yellowish, fragrant timber, said one of the discoverers, Daniel Harder of UC Santa Cruz. Harder’s team also discovered two dozen orchid species.

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Compiled by Times science writer Usha Lee McFarling