Taxus baccata (English yew)

As in N0021555 - 21557. Shows tree sprig with small cream ovate male flowers. English yew and the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, is used to make the anti-neoplastic drug taxol (paclitaxel), for the treatment of ovarian and breast cancer. English yew was once used in the manufacture of bows due to its springy nature, and is also prized for its wood by cabinet makers. It was once believed that anyone who slept under its branches would fall into eternal sleep, hence its folk name, the 'tree of death'.