Taxus baccata 歐洲紅豆杉

Common name: Yew
Scientific name: Taxus baccata 歐洲紅豆杉
Genus: Taxus 紅豆杉屬
Family: Taxaceae 紅豆杉科, yew family
Class: Pinopsida 松柏網
Divison: Pinophyta 松柏門

Origin: native

Date: 16th March

The following photos are male plants:

[0064] An evergreen tree or shrub, can reach up to 25m. Dioecious. Bark reddish brown and scaly.

[0061cropped] Twigs green. Midrib prominent on both surfaces of the leaves.

[0057cropped] Leaves pale green below.

[0055] Very young male strobili. 

[0060] mature male strobili.

[0052]

[0059]

The following photos show different stage of the male strobili:

[0056cropped]

[0054cropped]

[0052cropped2]

[0052cropped1] Look carefully powder-like pollens could be seen above.

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The following photos are female plants:

[0081]

[0078] Different stages of female strobili

[0073]

[0068]

[0078cropped] Different stages of developing female strobili.

[0073cropped]

[0068cropped] Open female strobilus.

[0076cropped] Female strobilus with pollination drops at its tip, ready to receive pollens.

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The following buds are found on another individual. These buds are longer than that of the female strobili posted above. No ideas to what are these. Maybe are (1) vegetative buds for lateral branch; (2) a longer form of female strobilus; (3) galls......

[0086]

[0086cropped]

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The following galls were found along with the female strobili on the female plant. They are buds (either vegetative or reproductive buds infested by bud mite. One of the example of bud mite is cecidophyopsis psilaspis 香榧癭蟎)

[0071]

[0074]

[0071cropped]

[0074cropped]