Cryptomeria (Cupressaceae) is a relic genus that was widely distributed throughout Eurasia during the Cenozoic Interpretation ofthe biogeographic history of this genus is currently limited by lack of fossil records from the Paleogene of East Asia. Here, we report on a new fossil species oi Cryptomeria, Cryptomeria yunnanensis W.N. Ding et Z.K. Zhou sp. nov., based on well-preserved compressions and impressions from the Rupelian (-32 Ma) ofthe Liihe Basin, Yunnan, Southwest China. Sterile shoots are assigned to Cryptomeria based on gross-morphological and cuticular (morphological) characters and are compared with extant and fossils species described so far. The shoots exhibit spirally arranged sessile subulate leaves, leaf cuticles show densely arranged and irregularly oriented monocyclic stomata, which are characteristic for the genus. Contemporary and historical distributions of Cryptomeria suggest that a decrease of precipitation in former distribution areas in East Asia may have been crucial in shaping the present relic distribution pattern of this ancient conifer. (c) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.