Herb: Yunnan Nutmeg Yew


Latin name: Torreya yunnanensis


Synonyms: Torreya fargesii yunnanensis


Family: Cephalotaxaceae (Plum Yew Family)



Edible parts of Yunnan Nutmeg Yew:

Seed. No more details are given but it is likely that the seed can be eaten raw or cooked and is rich in oil. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
15 m
(49 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Coniferous and mixed forests in warm temperate zones, locally a common forest tree, at levations of 1500 - 3400 metres in NW Yunnan.

Other uses of Yunnan Nutmeg Yew:

An oil is extracted from the seed. The high quality timber is used in constructing houses, bridges, and furniture, and for making implements and utensils.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Some of the seed should germinate in the following spring though much of it might take another 12 months. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification and can take 18 months or more to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as growth is observed and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least the next couple of winters, making sure to pot them on into larger pots as and when required. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer when the plants are at least 20cm tall. Cuttings of half-ripe shoots in late summer. Cuttings do not grow well. Layering.

Cultivation of Yunnan Nutmeg Yew:

Coniferous and mixed forests in warm temperate zones, locally a common forest tree, at levations of 1500 - 3400 metres in NW Yunnan.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Torreya yunnanensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.