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Taxus baccata L.

English yew (en), If commun (fr), If à baies (fr), if commun (fr)

Species

Gymnosperms > Cupressales > Taxaceae > Taxus

Characteristics

Small tree to c. 10 m high (larger in cultivation). Bark peeling in thin scaly strips, dark reddish brown. Trunk often short with main branches arising near the ground and tending to form a dense crown. Shoots green, ribbed. Lvs with short yellowish green petiole, radial on erect shoots, ± 2-ranked on horizontal shoots. Lamina 1.2-2.5 cm × 1.5-2 mm, sometimes smaller in first lvs of season, dark green, ± shining above, with 2 broad pale green stomatal bands beneath, revolute; midrib raised on both sides; apex acute or mucronate. Fr. (with aril) 10-15 × 8-11 mm, oblong, crimson; flesh viscid. Seed 5.5-7 mm long, ovoid-ellipsoid, angled, greenish brown.
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An evergreen tree. It can grow up to 20 m tall and spread 7.5-9 m wide. The trunk can be 100 cm across. The trunk is short. The bark is reddish-brown. It is rough and peels off in irregular papery scales. The leaves have short stalks and are 2.5-4 cm long. The leaves are in two ranks. They are linear and flattened. They are 10-30 mm long. There are 2 greyish bands beneath them. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. The male flower is yellow and the female flower is very small and green. The seed is enclosed in a scarlet cup-like aril or seed layer. Many cultivated varieties have been developed.
Occasionally escape locally from cult.
Occasionally escape locally from cult.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination anemogamy
Spread endozoochory
Mature width (meter) 4.5 - 5.25
Mature height (meter) 12.5 - 15.0
Root system fibrous-root
Rooting depth (meter) 1.0
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It will tolerate a wide range of conditions. They can grow on chalk soils. They can grow in shade. In Vietnam it grows above 1,500 m altitude. In Nepal it grows between 2200-3400 m altitude. It grows on exposed slopes. It suits hardiness zones 5-10. Arboretum Tasmania. Hobart Botanical gardens, Launceston Princess square.
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Woods and scrub, usually on limestone. It sometimes forms pure stands in sheltered sites on chalk in the south-east and on limestone in the north-west.
Light 3-7
Soil humidity 2-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-8

Usage

CAUTION: All parts except the seed coat are very poisonous. The red and fleshy cup-shaped seed coat is eaten. It is used for desserts. The bark is used for tea. It is dried and powdered then boiled with salt and refined butter (ghee).
Uses dye environmental use food material medicinal ornamental poison seasoning species tea timber wood
Edible barks fruits seeds stems
Therapeutic use Fever (bark), Hypnotics and sedatives (fruit), Menstruation-inducing agents (fruit), Parasympatholytics (fruit), Aphrodisiacs (leaf), Asthma (leaf), Bronchitis (leaf), Dyspepsia (leaf), Epilepsy (leaf), Hiccup (leaf), Hypnotics and sedatives (leaf), Liver diseases (leaf), Menstruation-inducing agents (leaf), Parasympatholytics (leaf), Asthma (shoot), Diarrhea (shoot), Dizziness (shoot), Epilepsy (shoot), Hemoptysis (shoot), Abortifacient (unspecified), Adjuvant (unspecified), Antirheumatic (External) (unspecified), Antirheumatic (Internal) (unspecified), Cold Remedy (unspecified), Cough Medicine (unspecified), Diaphoretic (unspecified), Orthopedic Aid (unspecified), Respiratory Aid (unspecified), Tuberculosis Remedy (unspecified), Headache (unspecified), Bilious (unspecified), Calculus (unspecified), Carminative (unspecified), Contraceptive (unspecified), Cyanogenetic (unspecified), Dentifrice (unspecified), Emmenagogue (unspecified), Epilepsy (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Hair-Oil (unspecified), Hysteria (unspecified), Medicine (unspecified), Nerves (unspecified), Pectoral (unspecified), Poison (unspecified), Sedative (unspecified), Spasm (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Tea (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Antifertility (unspecified), Debility (unspecified), Cancer (unspecified), Giddiness (unspecified), Insecticide (unspecified), Lithontriptic (unspecified), Vermifuge (unspecified), Antineoplastic agents (unspecified), Fishes, poisonous (unspecified), Ovarian neoplasms (unspecified), Anti-poisoning (unspecified), Uterine diseases (unspecified)
Human toxicity strong toxic (whole)
Animal toxicity very strong toxic (whole)

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. The seeds are very slow to germinate. They germinate more easily after having passed through the digestive system of birds.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 21
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -24
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Taxus baccata habit picture by Sabrina Olaru (cc-by-sa)
Taxus baccata habit picture by Silja Dehandschutter (cc-by-sa)
Taxus baccata habit picture by Martin Bishop (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taxus baccata leaf picture by Krzysztof Wolański (cc-by-sa)
Taxus baccata leaf picture by Claudine stassser (cc-by-sa)
Taxus baccata leaf picture by Emily Kotter (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taxus baccata flower picture by Yury Kulikou (cc-by-sa)
Taxus baccata flower picture by Lupulus Humulus (cc-by-sa)
Taxus baccata flower picture by Séverine Mielot (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taxus baccata fruit picture by Liljana Nyupescu (cc-by-sa)
Taxus baccata fruit picture by Cristiano Marsaglia (cc-by-sa)
Taxus baccata fruit picture by Matt P. Walser (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Taxus baccata world distribution map, present in Brazil, Colombia, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, and United States of America

Conservation status

Taxus baccata threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:306036-2
WFO ID wfo-0000408637
COL ID 5527N
BDTFX ID 67146
INPN ID 125816
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Taxus baccata f. lutea Taxus baccata f. dovastoniana Taxus baccata f. pendula-graciosa Taxus communis Taxus columnaris Taxus ericoides Taxus expansa Taxus fastigiata Taxus baccata Taxus variegata Taxus virgata Taxus recurvata Taxus michelii Taxus microphylla Taxus mitchellii Taxus nana Taxus monstrosa Taxus hibernica Taxus horizontalis Taxus imperialis Taxus jacksonii Taxus pectinata Taxus sparsifolia Cephalotaxus adpressa Cephalotaxus brevifolia Taxus erecta Taxus disticha Cephalotaxus tardiva Taxus baccifera Taxus baccata f. variegata Taxus foxii Taxus pendula Taxus pyramidalis Verataxus adpressa Taxus lugubris Taxus tardiva Taxus baccata f. elegantissima Taxus baccata f. semperaurea Taxus parvifolia Taxus baccata var. macrocarpa Taxus baccata var. variegata Taxus baccata var. elegantissima Taxus baccata var. lutea Taxus baccata var. erecta Taxus baccata var. pyramidalis Taxus baccata var. dovastoniana Taxus baccata var. adpressa-aurea Taxus baccata var. glauca Taxus baccata var. cavendishii Taxus baccata var. dovastonii-aurea Taxus baccata var. dovastonii-variegata Taxus baccata var. dovastonii-aureovariegata Taxus baccata var. pendula-overeynderi Taxus baccata var. prostrata Taxus elvastonensis Taxus adpressa Taxus aurea Taxus baccata f. aurea Taxus baccata f. xanthocarpa Taxus baccata f. stricta Taxus baccata f. erecta Taxus baccata f. pyramidalis Taxus baccata f. pendula Taxus baccata f. expansa Taxus baccata f. repandens Taxus baccata f. linearis Taxus baccata f. ericoides Taxus baccata f. glauca Taxus communis var. pyramidalis Taxus dovastonii Taxus elegantissima Taxus empetrifolia Taxus marginata
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