Abstract
A chemotaxonomical study of the genus Taxus was undertaken, based on the concentration of six neutral taxanes in its needles. A total of 750 different samples from 10 different Taxus species or hybrids were analysed. The chemical data were processed by Cluster and Principal Component Analysis. The results of the chemical analyses allowed the distinction of a North American and a Eurasian group of species. Cultivars belonging to the closely related species T. baccata , T. cuspidata and T. x media could be divided in five major groups based on morphological data. However, a classification of these same cultivars based on the chemical data showed no correlation between taxane content and morphology. The chemical dataset showed some separation of the species T. baccata , T. cuspidata and T. x media , but did not indicate an intermediate position for T. x media , but rather a heterosis effect for the hybrids.
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