YEW-TREE O.N. 8340 



YEW-TREE 



Taxus baccata Linn. Taxaceae. 



A hard, heavy wood of a deep reddish-brown colour and rather cold 

 to the touch. The colour of the Autumn and Spring wood is not very 

 different though the limits are distinct enough. Smell, none. 



Structure very simple, consisting of rays and tracheids only. Vertical 

 parenchyma sometimes occurs, but most observers assert that it is 

 absent. 



Resin-canals, or resin-cells, none. Spiral thickenings to the tracheids 

 present. 



The Yew is not easily confused with any other wood but if doubt arises 

 between this species and the Larch and Douglas Fir, they may be dis- 

 tinguished by the presence of resin-canals in both of the latter and also 

 by their watery extracts which are very pale yellow. The Yew yields 

 an extract of the colour of sherry. 



