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The Left-handed Japanese torreya (Torreya nucifera f. macrosperma) belongs to Taxaceae (the Yew family). It is a tall evergreen tree that is a form of Japanese torreya (Torreya nucifera), distributed from south of Miyagi prefecture of Honshu to Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan. This form has been found only in 4 places in Miyagi, Shiga, Mie and Hyogo prefecture. What differentiates it from ordinary "Japanese torreya" is that the seeds are larger, with five or six longitudinal lines turning leftward from the base toward the top, and the inner seed coat also has longitudinal ridges and grooves. The 1st-8th pictures are "Ohara's Left-handed Japanese torreya" in Shiroishi city, Miyagi prefecture. This tree was discovered by botanical researcher Shiroji Saito (1872-1946) around 1924 and designated as a national natural monument in 1942.
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