Taxus baccata var fructo-lutea

Locality not clear. Lange 259, det. by Florin as “T. baccata L. f. luteo-baccata” (S: C-2189), annotated by Spjut in 2001 as Taxus baccata var. fructu-luteo. Seeds with aril dried aril parts are present on the specimen. Illustration drawn from leaf fragment studied under a microscope indicates abaxial leaf was found to have 5–8 marginal cells lacking in papillae followed by 9 rows of papillose cells, a stomata band with 12–13 stomata rows and mostly papillose midrib.

Transcaucasia— Azerbaijan: pr. pag. Kish., in silvis montanis regionis madian, Brzhezitzky & Kasumov H196 (P, US). Illustration drawn from leaf fragment studied under a microscope indicates abaxial leaf was found to have 15 marginal cells lacking in papillae followed by 3 rows of papillose cells, a stomata band with 10 stomata rows and mostly yellowish smooth midrib of 15 cells.

Transcaucasia: Prilipko 13 April 1934 (K). This photo was not clear but seems to agree with the other specimen shown. Illustration drawn from leaf fragment studied under a microscope indicates abaxial leaf was found to have 10 marginal cells lacking in papillae followed by 10 rows of papillose cells, a stomata band with 9 stomata rows and papillose midrib.

16f. Taxus baccata var. fructo-lutea Loudon, Arb. Brit. 4: 2068 (1838), “T. b. [var.] fruto-luteo”); T. baccata f. luteo-baccata Pilger, Pflanzenreich 18(iv, 5): 115 (1903); T. baccata f. luteibaccata Pilger, Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 25: 12 (1916); T. baccata f. lutea (Endl.) Rehder, Bibl. cult. trees 2 (1949); T. baccata lutea Endlicher, Syn. conif., 243 (1847). Type: Ireland? (“discovered by Whitlaw of Dublin about 1817” fide den Ouden & Boom 1965). Original herbarium material unknown, native origin questionable. Type undetermined. Spelling corrected according to ICBN 23.5; Taxus is traditionally feminine (ICBN 62.2).

Branchlets and leaf arrangement intermediate between T. recurvata var. linearis and var. glauca; the branchlets appearing erect; leaves appearing radial near apex of branchlet, ±two ranked below, spreading widely, recurved, notably deficient in papillae on the abaxial surface, lacking papillae across (5-) 8–15 cells in the marginal zone, papillae variable on midrib, stomata in 9-13 rows/band; aril yellow or red.

Yellow-aril yew. Distribution: Caucasus Mts., Europe (Ireland)? Japan?

Representative Specimens. Lange 259, det. by Florin as “T. baccata L. f. luteo-baccata” (S: C-2189). Transcaucasia— Azerbaijan: pr. pag. Kish., in silvis montanis regionis madian, Brzhezitzky & Kasumov H196 (P, US).

Taxus baccata var. fructo-lutea has been recognized strictly based on the development of a yellow aril. This in itself is not considered worthy of taxonomic merit as a variety. But the overall morphology of the specimens that seem to belong here show features that are intermediate between T. recurvata and T. baccata var. glauca. Additionally, the specimens deviate in one or more leaf anatomical features that would generally place them in the Baccata Alliance; thus, all of these features collectively justify separate taxonomic status. The specimen annotated by Florin had 12–13 stomata rows in a stomata band, instead of the usual 8–10 rows, while the other specimens, which had the normal stomata count differed in having a broad region of marginal cells, 10–15 cells wide. Thus, var. fructo-lutea has some leaf anatomical features that would place it in the Cuspidata Alliance. In this regard it is interesting that T. cuspidata var. luteobaccata Miyabe & Tatew. has also been recognized based on natural occurring plants in Japan (Ohwi 1965). In the European region, reports of yews with a yellow aril are known from occurrences near Dublin, and that plants grown from yellow arillocarpia will produce yellow arillocarpia (Elwes and Henry 1906). Additionally, I have observed a Barron yew at Kew gardens with yellow arils, and herbarium specimens of a Barron yew are referred to T. baccata var. variegata.

It might be noted that the presence of yellow aril is not evident on any of the specimens cited, or from data on labels, although the specimen annotated by Florin does have several seeds with aril remnants. Florin, who was an expert on the taxonomy of Taxaceae, would seemed to have knowledge that the yew specimen, Lange 259, must have had a yellow aril.

Other specimens from Transcaucasia that might prove to be more closely related are Woronowa (S: C-2027), referred to T. recurvata, and Bush (K), identified as T. baccata var. dovastoniana. The Woronowa specimen was found to have 13 stomata rows with the leaf margin appearing entirely papillose, whereas the Bush specimen had a broad leaf margin, 10–14 cells, with 11 stomata rows.