''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s and

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s in the witch hazel family,

Hamamelidaceae Hamamelidaceae, commonly referred to as the witch-hazel family, is a family of flowering plants in the order Saxifragales. The clade consists of shrubs and small trees positioned within the woody clade of the core Saxifragales. An earlier system ...

, native to eastern and southeastern

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Taxonomy

Fossil record

Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossil pollen among the middle

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

Sarmatian The Sarmatians (; grc, Σαρμαται, Sarmatai; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern Iranian peoples, Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples of classical ant ...

palynoflora from the

Lavanttal The Lavant Valley (german: Lavanttal, sl, Labotska dolinaGams, Ivan. 1992. "Labotska dolina." ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'', vol. 6. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, pp. 87–87. or ''Laboška dolina''; Southern Bavarian: ''Lovnthol'') lies in the Lav ...

Basin of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. The sediment containing the fossil pollen had accumulated in a lowland wetland environment with various vegetation units of mixed evergreen/deciduous broadleaved/conifer forests surrounding the wetland basin. Key relatives of the fossil taxa found with ''Distylium'' are presently confined to humid warm temperate environments, suggesting a

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

climate during the middle Miocene in Austria. ''Distylium''

macrofossil Macrofossils, also known as megafossils, are preserved organic remains large enough to be visible without a microscope. The term ''macrofossil'' stands in opposition to the term microfossil. Microfossils, by contrast, require substantial magnific ...

s of the Lower and Middle

, are known from the

lignite Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...

mines of the Kaltennortheim Formation in the

Rhön Mountains The Rhön Mountains () are a group of low mountains (or ''Mittelgebirge'') in central Germany, located around the border area where the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia come together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end o ...

, central

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, where it is associated with typical elements of the Mastixioid floras that attest to an optimal warm humid phase of the Miocene.The floral change in the tertiary of the Rhön mountains (Germany) by Dieter Hans Mai - Acta Paleobotanica 47(1): 135-143, 2007.

Species

;Selected species *''

Distylium buxifolium ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium chinense ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium chungii ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium cuspidatum ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium dunnianum ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium elaeagnoides ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium gracile ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium macrophyllum ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium myricoides ''Distylium myricoides'' is a species in the genus ''Distylium'' in the family Hamamelidaceae. It is native to southern China.Flora of China via eFloras. Available at: http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=620&taxon_id=200010541 ccessed 12 ...

'' - China *''

Distylium pingpienense ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China *''

Distylium racemosum ''Distylium racemosum'', the isu tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hamamelidaceae. It is native to subtropical eastern Asia; central and southern Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, South Korea ( Jeju Island), southeastern China, Taiwan, ...

'' - tree up to 20m; China, Korea, Japan (

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...

)(known as Isunoki(イスノキ)/Nara(柞), Taiwan *''

Distylium tsiangii ''Distylium'' (winter-hazel) is a genus of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to eastern and southeastern Asia. Taxonomy Fossil record Researchers have recognized ''Distylium'' fossi ...

'' - China

References

Flora of China: ''Distylium''

External links

* Hamamelidaceae Saxifragales genera {{Saxifragales-stub