Scientific name: Taxus cuspidata P.Siebold & Zuccarini 1846

Synonyms:Cephalotaxus umbraculifera Siebold ex Endl., Taxus biternata Spjut, Taxus caespitosa Nakai, Taxus umbraculifera (Siebold ex Endl.) C.Lawson

Common names:Japanese yew, Ichii, Araragi (Japanese), Chu mok (Korean)

Description

Shrub, or tree to 20 m tall, with fluted trunk to 1 m in diameter. Crown deep and narrow in forest-grown trees, dense to open and irregular, rounded or flat-topped, with numerous slender horizontal or upwardly angled branches. Winter bud scales persistent, pointed and keeled. Needles dark green above, (1-)1.5-2 cm long, 1.5-2(-4.5) mm wide, the stomatal bands beneath yellowish green, narrowing abruptly to the soft-pointed tip ( hence the scientific name, from Latin). Plants dioecious. Pollen cones about 3 mm long. Seeds slightly flattened, about 6 mm long, conspicuous within the bright red or yellow aril.

Japan, Korea, and adjacent northeastern China and southeastern Russia. Temperate deciduous forests to subalpine forests; 20-2,500 m.

Conservation Status

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern

(Exploitation of this species has only affected subpopulations in certain parts of its extensive range, hence it is assumed that population reduction has been limited and has not had sufficient impact to warrant any assessment other than Least Concern)

References

Farjon, A. (2010). A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.

Eckenwalder, J.E. (2009) Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference. Timber Press, Portland.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Cambridge, UK /Gland, Switzerland