The difference between Torreya grandis and Taxus chinensis

1. Leaf Difference

The leaves of Torreya grandis are strip-shaped and arranged in two rows. They are usually straight, sometimes slightly curved, about 2 to 5 cm long and 3 mm wide. The base is nearly circular, and the tip of the leaf usually gradually becomes pointed or slightly convex. The leaves are dark green.

The leaves of yew are linear, growing in a spiral shape, twisting into two rows at the base, straight or sickle-shaped, with a raised midrib and two light gray stomatal bands underneath.

2. Flower Differences

The flowers of Torreya grandis are clustered in heads of 6 to 7, with a diameter of about 6 mm and a peduncle of about 3 mm. The flowers are ovoid in shape.

The male flowers of Taxus chinensis are spherical, with pedicels and bracts arranged in a shingle-like manner at the base. The spherical flowers are solitary in the leaf axils.