How to Choose a Yew Variety? Frequently Asked Questions

Currently, Chinese yews are divided into 3 species and 2 varieties, plus a recently introduced new species - the Taxus media.

General classification characteristics of the Taxus genus:

We generally classify yews mainly based on external morphological features (including leaf shape, leaf length, leaf width, leaf color), seed morphology, and anatomical features of the leaves. Rechard also said that the classification of yews must rely on morphology, anatomy, geographic distribution, and comprehensive studies of depth and diameter, but also said that even so, it cannot completely solve the classification problem, and molecular methods are also needed for classification.

Below, let's look at the 3 species, 2 genera, and 1 cultivated variety of Chinese yews to see how they are divided.

1. Himalayan Yew

It is called Yunnan Yew in Flora of China. Its morphological features are that the leaves are basically horizontally distributed on both sides of the twigs, and the seeds are ovate. Its geographic distribution is mainly from the Himalayan mountainous areas of China to the Hengduan Mountains, and it is also distributed in Myanmar and Southeast Asia, at an altitude of about 2000-3000 m.

2. Southern Yew

Its characteristics are that the seeds are obovate and slightly flattened; it is widely distributed in China, mainly in the mountainous areas of Hubei, southern Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Taiwan, China, at an altitude of about below 1200 m.

3. Himalayan Waxy Yew is called Tibetan Yew in Flora of China. Its English name is w. Its characteristics are small twigs, leaves basically distributed in a V shape on both sides of the twigs, and leaves are linear. The tip is somewhat pointed, and it feels a bit prickly to the touch. The midrib and stomatal bands underneath are densely covered with uniform, fine, small cuticular papillae. The seeds are cylindrical. Its distribution is relatively high, at about 2500-3400 m in altitude, and in our country it is only found in Tibet and other places, and it is also distributed in neighboring Pakistan, Nepal, and other places.

4. The male parent is the European Yew, and the female parent is the Northeast Yew. A natural hybrid formed in Canada, with a history of more than 80 years, has developed many strains, and Taxus media is also one of them.