Question

please provide information about Taxus baccata  in your own words at least 50

including

physical characteristics ,reproduction ,Relationship with Humans, Fun Facts

Answer 1

Taxus baccata, commonly known as Common Yew or English Yew is a gymnosperm (plants which produces naked seeds). It belongs to conifers (cone bearing plants) and is generally grown as ornamental plant. The plant grows to a height of 10 - 20 m having the trunk diameter upto 2 metres. The plant has dark green flat leaves which are spirally arranged on the stem. During sexual reproduction, the plant produces seed cones and each cone bears a single seed. the seed is surrounded by bright red soft aril which takes 6 - 9 months to mature after pollination. The plant is anemochoric which means that the plant seeds are dispersed by wind. Yew plants have many ethnobotanical applications as knifes and bows were made from the plant which were considered good weapons for hunting and warfare. The leaves of Yew plants are considered to be poisonous and as such the extract was used as a poison for suicide or to poison animals for hunting. Besides the wood of the plant finds applications in making furniture and other wooden items. Medicinally plant is known to have anticancerous properties and is an important source of drug taxol.

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