Taxus brevifolia
Taxus brevifolia
Taxus brevifolia (pronounced /ˈtæksəs ˌbrɛvɪˈfoʊliə/), commonly known as the Pacific yew or western yew, is a tree species native to the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Etymology
The genus name Taxus is derived from the Greek word 'τάξις' (taxis), meaning 'arrangement', and 'brevifolia' is Latin for 'short-leaved'.
Description
Taxus brevifolia is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, growing 10–15 m tall and with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter, rarely more. The bark is thin and scaly, coming off in small flakes aligned with the stem. The leaves are lanceolate, flat, dark green above, and with two blue-white stomatal bands below.
Distribution and habitat
Taxus brevifolia is native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, but is also found in the interior wet belt of British Columbia, and much further east, Idaho and Montana. It prefers moist soils in cool, humid climates, but can also adapt to drier and warmer environments.
Medical relevance
The bark of Taxus brevifolia is a source of Taxol, a chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of several types of cancer, including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer.
Related terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Taxus brevifolia
- Wikipedia's article - Taxus brevifolia
This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski