Taxus baccata L/common yew

·        Taxus baccata L. Also called as common yew, English yew

·        Uses: Ornamental, timber, wood for bow-making, medicinal

·        Identified hazards: The seeds, leaves and bark are very poisonous and can be   deadly poisoning for humans and animals

·        The general yew exists across much of Europe, western Asia and North Africa.

·        In the middle of 1960s, scientists proved that the taxane alkaloids in yew bark may possibly be used to treat cancer, and the anti-cancer drug Taxol® was permitted for use in the 1990s. 

·        Yew trees contain the extremely poisonous taxane alkaloids that have been developed as anti-cancer drugs. Eating only a few leaves can make a small child very ill.

·        All parts of the tree are poisonous, with the exemption of the bright red arils. The arils are safe, pulpy, cup-like structures, partly enveloping the seeds, which are eaten by birds  the black seeds within them be supposed to not be eaten as they contain poisonous alkaloids.