plum-fruited yew (Prumnopitys andina)
 

There is an interesting sight for Sydneysiders where Canterbury Road
crosses the Cooks River.

If you are driving SW, turn left immediately after crossing the river.
There you will see in the park bordering the river several fruiting
trees. They are the plum-fruited yew (Prumnopitys andina).

These mature trees have obviously been there for decades.

It took me some time to identify them and I don't recollect seeing
them elsewhere in Sydney, though I have no doubt that there are places
where they grow..

Does anybody know whether they were once a popular tree in parks and
gardens? The fruit looks like a large yellowish green cherry and is
said to be edible. I tasted one but spat it out. It is a sweet,
acidless and tasteless pulp - slightly astringent.

This is an endangered species in its native Chile. Let's hope the
fanatical 'ethnic cleansers' of Sydney's parks don't fell this fine
stand of trees just because they are not native. They deserve refugee
status.