Description
Any of several spreading evergreen trees of the Taxus family, such as Taxus baccata, that are found throughout Europe and Asia. The dense, strong wood from the common yew tree is reddish with a close grain. It was used in ancient Egypt for utensils, bowls, tools, weapons, boats, coffins, statues, and nails (Gale et al 2000).
Synonyms and Related Terms
common yew (Taxus baccata); English yew; European yew; Taiwan yew (Taxus marei); Japanese yew (ichii); if (Fr.); Eibe (Deut.); tasso (It.); tejo (Esp.); teixo (Port.)
Hazards and Safety
Toxic by ingestion and inhalation. Skin contact may cause irritation
Additional Information
R.Gale, P.Gasson, N.Hepper, G.Killen, "Wood" in Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, P.Nicholson, I.Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2000, p. 334-371.
Schoch, W., Heller, I., Schweingruber, F.H., Kienast, F., 2004:
Wood anatomy of central European Species: Yew, Taxus baccata L.
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Last updated on: 8/10/2009 10:53:10 AM
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