Random (or your real name),
This Cathaya argyrophylla was first described as:
Tsuga argyrophylla /Chun & Kuang 1955/de Laubenfels & Silba 1984. First in Sylva Sinica in China, later de Laubenfels and Silba divided it to a new genus.

You have the possibility to try it also on Tsuga understocks. Wish you the best success for this attempt.

Zsolt
conifertreasury.org

There are reports in Chinese literature of success on Pinus elliotii and Abies firma. We have had success on Abies firma, but the grafts never lasted more than a year. I would also try Keteleeria.

Random, please don't listen to that story about grafting Cathaya on Tsuga understock.
Grafting Tsugas is a very difficult job itselve, why graft a rare species like Cathaya on this kind of understock while it could been done more easily at Pseudotsuga understock?

Zsolt is wrong, the species was first described (by Chun & Kuang) in the genus Cathaya. Then later, Greguss placed it in Pseudotsuga in 1970, and de Laubenfels & Silba placed it in Tsuga in 1984. Currently, it is however universally accepted as a distinct genus.

Relationships are tricky; some studies have placed it closest to Pseudotsuga and Larix, while others have suggested it is closest to Picea. The jury is still out, though personally I consider it closer to Pseudotsuga and Larix.

Remember to report back on your experiment, it could be very valuable evidence in helping to determine what its closest relatives are.

Resin

While the subject of grafting was already up in another thread, what does this mean:
"We have had success on Abies firma, but the grafts never lasted more than a year."

That it stayed green for a year, then died? It's it's closely related to Larix & Pseudotsuga, you don't have many options in Florida. I'd assume Pseudotsuga wilsoniana grows there? But I'd also guess it's a little too warm for Larix kaempferi.

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Tue, May 28, 13 at 19:05

Yep, Pseudotsuga wilsoniana should do well in Florida.

Resin

Yeah, I've seen phylogenetic trees that put it between Larix and Pseudotsuga, and other ones that have it with Pinus and Picea. Morphologically, it sure looks like the former, to me. I think that the other possible relationships are based on genetics, though.

I'm also working on trying to get it to set seed. It produced a few female cones last year, but there were no viable seeds in them. It has one cone that is maturing this year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Well, I'm here to tell you that this graft has failed. It was worth a try, though :)

Too bad. Thanks for the update.
Unless you've done a lot of successful grafting though, I'd chalk it up to general graft failure at the moment, and not incompatibility.

Yeah, I'll probably try some next year as well, just to be sure.