TAXACEAE 



axil of the uppermost of several imbricated scales. Fruit a bony nut in 

 a fleshy, scarlet, cup-like disk, with the apex exposed and usually free 

 from the cup. Cotyledons 2. 



Distributed over the N. Hemisphere, extending over large portions 

 of Europe, America and Asia. The 7 species described differ from each 

 other only slightly in foliage and fruit, and botanists sometimes regard 

 them as geographical variations of a single species. The most recent 

 monographer of the genus, Pilger, grouped all the geographic forms under 

 Taxus baccata. The yews are slow-growing evergreen trees with dark, 

 glossy foliage and bright red, berry-like fruits. They are planted in 

 gardens for ornamental purposes, and since the earliest times have been 

 closely associated with the religious life of the English, Hindoos and the 

 Chinese. In certain sections of China, the yew is known as " Kwan-yin 

 Sha," the fir of the Goddess of Mercy. In the olden days, bows were 

 almost exclusively made from the wood of the yew. The wood is reddish, 

 strong and durable, formerly much prized for cabinet making and for 

 interior finish. In India and China, the wood is used for incense. The 

 leaves and shoots have a poisonous property which sometimes proves 

 fatal to horses and cattle which browse upon them, but the pulp of the 

 seeds, which is sweet and harmless, is edible. Propagated by seeds which 

 should be stratified for 1 year as they do not germinate until the second 

 year after sowing; also propagated by layers and cuttings. 



Taxus cuspidata Siebold & Zuccarini. 

 (Taxus chinensis (R. & W.) Rehder.) 

 (Taxus cuspidata var. chinensis. R. & W.) * 



Tree 6-15 m. tall, with brownish-red bark. Leaves usually falcate, 

 dark green above, pale green beneath, abruptly pointed, 12-25 mm. long,, 

 rarely longer. Seeds ovoid, slightly 2-1 angled, with a minute point at 

 the apex, flesh light red. 



China, Korea and Japan. 



China: Kansu, Shensi, Kweichow, Chekiang, Hupeh and Szechuan. 



The Chinese tree cannot be distinguished from the Japanese type and 

 the two should be regarded as identical. It is a comparatively rare tree 

 in China, but occasionally a large specimen is met with in the mountains 

 of Szechuan and Hupeh. Dwarfed forms variously trimmed and trained 

 are under cultivation in the gardens of the wealthy. 



