Chilean plum-yew

It grows up to 30 m (98 ft) high, with a trunk up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in diameter. The leaves are linear to sickle-shaped, 15–30 mm long and 2 mm broad. The seed cones are highly modified, reducing to a central stem 2–4 cm long bearing 1–4 scales, each scale maturing berry-like, oval, 10–15 mm long and 10 mm broad, green maturing dark purple, with a soft edible pulp covering the single seed. The seeds are dispersed by birds, which eat the 'berries' and pass the seeds in their droppings. Seeds are very difficult to germinate. It has a straight and cylindrical trunk, with gray and shiny bark.

The cones (an aril) are 1.5 cm (0.59 in) long, blue-purple in color, are eaten by Native American people in Chile, and a marmalade is produced with them. The tree is also occasionally grown as an ornamental tree and a hedge in oceanic climate areas in northwest Europe and the Pacific Northwest of North America. In these areas, it is also sometimes known as "plum-yew" or "plum-fruited yew", though these names are more commonly applied to plants in the genus Cephalotaxus. The wood is a yellowish color and has a good quality. It is used in furniture and construction.