"waxwings" - 1 õppematerjal

European yew - plant in Estonia

metres. The bark is thin, brown, coming off in small flakes aligned with the stem. The leaves are lanceolate, flat, dark green and highly poisonous. The seed cones are highly modified, each cone containing a single seed long partly surrounded by a modified scale which develops into a soft, bright red berry-like structure called an aril. The arils are mature 6­9 months after pollination, and with the seed contained are eaten by thrushes, waxwings and other birds. The aril is not poisonous. The seeds themselves are extremely poisonous and bitter, but are opened and eaten by some bird species  Toxicity The bark, stem, needles and seeds of the yew are poisonous, although birds can eat the berries without digesting the seed. This dangerous side of the yew has led some to call it the "tree of death,,. Symptoms include staggering gait, muscle tremors, collapse, difficulty breathing,