NanChuan Jinfo Mountain Cathaya argyrophylla

NanChuan Jinfo Mountain Cathaya argyrophylla

NanChuan Jinfo Mountain Cathaya argyrophylla is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　The First Wonder of Jinfo Mountain: The “Panda of Plants” – Cathaya argyrophylla

　　The global botanical community once believed that studying the ancient plant Cathaya argyrophylla could only be done through fossils found in Europe dating back ten centuries. In the 1930s, Professor Yang Yujin from the Northeast Forestry College discovered living Cathaya argyrophylla in China. This immediately caused a sensation both in China and abroad, attracting considerable interest from botanists worldwide. Many foreign individuals requested to visit China to witness the plant in person. Some even offered to exchange a three-engine Trident aircraft for a single Cathaya argyrophylla tree.

　　Cathaya argyrophylla belongs to the Pinaceae family and is an evergreen coniferous tree. It is a rare and ancient relic plant. More than one million years ago, Cathaya argyrophylla widely grew across Eurasia. After being hit by the Quaternary Ice Age, some scientists thought it had gone extinct. Unexpectedly, this rare “living fossil” is unique to China’s land.

　　According to research, Cathaya argyrophylla has been found in small quantities in Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, and other provinces, but large populations exist on Jinfo Mountain. Expert surveys show that there are 1,987 Cathaya argyrophylla trees on Jinfo Mountain with a height of over 1 meter, the tallest reaching 16 meters in height and 53 centimeters in diameter at breast height.

　　Cathaya argyrophylla trees have tall, straight trunks with dark grayish-brown bark and shallow, scaly fissures. Their branches host lichens and mosses, and they have a pyramidal tree crown. The leaves are deep green, horizontally spreading and gracefully arranged, giving the tree a majestic and spectacular appearance. The needle-like leaves grow alternately, are emerald green and soft, and feature two silvery-white stomatal bands on the underside. When sunlight shines and a breeze blows, these bands shimmer with a silvery glow—hence the name “Cathaya argyrophylla” (meaning “silver”).

　　Its wood is hard, glossy, with straight grain and strong resistance to decay. It grows slowly—taking 20 years to reach just one meter in height as a sapling, and more than 150 years to achieve a diameter at breast height of 20 centimeters. The discovery of Cathaya argyrophylla provides living physical evidence for the study of plant evolution, as well as ancient biology, paleoclimate, paleogeology, and paleogeography. Hence, it is hailed as the “Pearl of the Plant Kingdom,” the “Panda of Plants,” and truly stands as one of the wonders of Jinfo Mountain. In 1982, the Sichuan Provincial Government approved the establishment of the Jinfo Mountain Cathaya argyrophylla Nature Reserve.

　　NanChuan Jinfo Mountain Cathaya argyrophylla

　　 Chongqing Jinfo Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration

　　 10986518

　　 Cathaya argyrophylla (plant)