''Taxus'' × ''media''

Taxus × media
Two immature Taxus media (Anglojap) var. hicksii yews planted in central Indiana, United States of America. Although T. media are slow-growing, the specimen on the right may require pruning within 2-3 years in order to avoid blocking the nearby sidewalk.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Division:Pinophyta
Class:Pinopsida
Order:Pinales
Family:Taxaceae
Genus:Taxus
Species: T.  × media
Binomial name
Taxus × media
Rehder

Taxus × media, more commonly known as the Anglojap yew[1] or simply Taxus media, is a conifer (more specifically, a yew) created by the hybridization of yew species Taxus baccata and Taxus cuspidata. This hybridization was thought to have been performed by the Massachusetts-based horticulturalist T.D. Hatfield in the early 1900s.[2]

Taxonomy and common naming

The Taxus media ("Anglojap") yew is a hybrid between Taxus baccata and Taxus cuspidata. The common name Anglojap is a portmanteau stemming from the national origin of T. baccata (a species native to England) and the national origin of T. cuspidata (a species native to Japan).[1]

Description

Like most yew species, T. media prefers well-drained and well-watered soils, but has some degree of drought tolerance and in fact may die in conditions of excessive precipitation if the soil beneath the plant is not sufficiently well-drained.[1]

Taxus media is among the smallest extant species in the genus Taxus and (depending upon cultivar) may not even grow to the size of what one would consider a typical tree. Immature shrubs are very small and achieve (over the time span of ten to twenty years) heights of at most 20 feet and diameters of at most 8 feet, depending on the cultivar.[2] Furthermore, T. media is known to grow rather slowly and is not injured by frequent pruning, making this hybrid a very desirable as a hedge in low-maintenance landscaping and also a good candidate for bonsai.[1]

Toxicity

Taxus media also shares with its fellow yew trees a high level of taxine in its branches, needles, and seeds. Taxine is toxic to the mammalian heart.[3]

Varieties (Cultivars)

  • Taxus media var. hicksii (also known by the common name Hicks's yew or alternately, Hicks yew) is a common cultivar of this hybrid, and is the tallest and thinnest variety of T. media, limiting itself to a 4 foot (1.3 meter) diameter despite the fact it can achieve a height of close to 20 feet.[2][4]
  • Another commonly-planted cultivar of T. Media is the broader-spreading densiformis version, which can reach a diameter exceeding 10 feet; nonetheless, this cultivar does not grow much past 5 feet in height.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 The Ohio State University Plant Facts: Anglojap Yew
  2. 1 2 3 4 University of Connecticut Horticulture: Taxus Media
  3. ↑ Wilson, C. R.; Sauer, J.; Hooser, S. B. (2001). "Taxines: A review of the mechanism and toxicity of yew (Taxus spp.) alkaloids". Toxicon. 39 (2–3): 175–85. doi:10.1016/s0041-0101(00)00146-x. PMID 10978734.
  4. ↑ University of Illinois - Selecting Shrubs for Your Home
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.