| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: TAXACEAE. Other trade relevant species: species protected under CITES II: Taxus chinensis, T. cuspidata, T. fuana, T. sumatrana, T. wallichiana; species not protected: Taxus baccata (Europe), T. brevifolia (western USA and Canada), T. canadensis (eastern USA and Canada), T. globosa (Central America). Synonym(s): Taxus fuana is also listed as a synonym for T. contorta. Further trade and local names: Taxus chinensis: Chinesische Eibe (DE); Chinese yew (GB); if de Chine (FR); thông đo băc (VN). Taxus cuspidata: araragi, ichi-i, raramani (JP); Japanische Eibe (DE); Japanese yew (GB); chu mok (KR). Taxus fuana: West Himalayan yew (GB); mi ye hong dou shan (CN); postil (IN,PK). Taxus sumatrana: East Himalayan yew (GB); yun nan hong dou shan (CN). Taxus wallichiana: kyauk-tinye (MM); xu mi hong dou shan (CN); Himalayan yew, Yunnan yew (GB); barmi, thuner (IN); tampinur batu (MY); tcheiragulab (NP); thanh tùng, thông đo lá dài, thông đo Nam (VN). Code according to DIN EN 13556: only Taxus baccata = TXBC.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Listed in Annex II(B) (the European yew (Taxus baccata) is subject to special national protection legislation in Germany, Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and the Russian Federation).
Similar timbers. All species of the genera Taxus and Torreya .
Geographic distribution. Of the species protected under CITES: temperate Asia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia. Taxus chinensis: China, Vietnam; T. cuspidata: Kurilen, Sakhalin, Japan, N-China, Korea; T. fuana: Afghanistan, China, Insia, Nepal, Pakistan; T. sumatrana: Indonesia, Philippines; T. wallichiana: China, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Laos Myanmar, Vietnam.
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries distinct; transition from earlywood to latewood abrupt, or gradual (depends on growth conditions). Heartwood basically brown (light brown (white coffee) to dark brown). Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour. Wood of medium weight to heavy and hard (0.60–0.80 g/cm³). Interlocked grain absent.
Hardwood vs softwood. Vessels (pores) absent (= softwood).
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Resin canals. Normal resin canals absent.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour shade of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract not fluorescent; colour shade of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Splinter burns to charcoal.
Additional information. • Transverse section + wood surface. Transverse section ca. 10x. Wood surface, natural size.
The interactive key allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, summaries of attributes within groups of taxa, and geographical distribution.
Cite this publication as: ‘Richter, H.G., Gembruch, K., and Koch, G. 2014 onwards. CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, and Spanish. Version: 4th April 2023. www.delta-intkey.com’.
