Any of a group of evergreen coniferous trees native to the northern hemisphere. The dark green flat needlelike leaves and bright red berrylike seeds are poisonous; the wood is hard and close-grained. (Genus
Taxus, family Taxaceae.)
The western or Pacific yew (
T. brevifolia) is native to North America. English yew (
T. baccata) is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree. The wood was formerly used to make longbows.
The anticancer drug taxol is synthesized from the bark of the Pacific yew.
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