Japanese yew Taxaceae Taxus
cuspidata Siebold & Zucc.
symbol: TACU
Leaf: Evergreen needles, single, spirally arranged but appearing 2-ranked on shaded branches, needles lay very flat, approximately 1 inch long, dark green and shiny above, tip abruptly pointed, yellow or pale green below with 12-15 rows of stomates.
Flower: Species is dioecious; male flowers are small, round, and yellow and are borne on the undersides of the leaves; female flowers are solitary.
Fruit: Naked ovoid seed 1/4 inch long, surrounded by a bright red, fleshy aril, maturing in late summer, persistent through fall.
Twig: Light green in color, turning brown after several years; buds green with keeled scales, female flower buds are pointed, males rounded.
Bark: Always thin (about 1/4 inch), reddish brown, and scaly; inner bark is reddish purple.
Form: Small tree or large shrub to 25 feet, with many limbed boles and a short trunk.
Looks like: English yew
- Pacific yew
- Anglo-Jap yew
- eastern hemlock