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''Parasitaxus usta'' (Corail) is a rare species of conifer of the family Podocarpaceae, and the sole species of the genus ''Parasitaxus''. It is a woody shrub up to 1.8 m found only in the remote, densely forested areas of New Caledonia, first discovered and described by Vieillard in 1861. It is generally mentioned that ''Parasitaxus usta'' is the only known parasitic gymnosperm. The species remarkably lacks roots and is always found attached to the roots of ''Falcatifolium taxoides'' (another member of the Podocarpaceae). However, the question is still left open, as the plant is in any case not a haustorial parasite, which is usually the case with angiosperms. Certain experts therefore consider the plant as a myco-heterotroph. Recent studies suggest a close relationship between this species and the genus ''Lepidothamnus'', especially with ''Lepidothamnus fonkii''. The species was first described as ''Dacrydium ustum'' Vieill.; other synonyms include ''Podocarpus ustus'' (Vieill.) Brogn. & Gris, and ''Nageia usta'' (Vieill.) Kuntze. The name is often cited as ''Parasitaxus ustus'', but this is grammatically incorrect, as, according to Latin, the genus name ''Parasitaxus'' is (like ''Taxus'') gender-feminine, with which the species name's gender must agree (Nickrent 2006). The scientific name translates as "Burnt Parasitic Yew." ==References== * *(Gymnosperm Database: ''Parasitaxus ustus'' ) *Nickrent, D. (2006). (Parasitic Plants website: Is ''Parasitaxus '' Parasitic? ). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Parasitaxus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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