Tas. 4780. 
TORREYA Myristica. 
Californian Nutmeg. 
Nat. Ord. Contrerm.—Dt1ecra PoLyANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. Dioica.—Masc. Amentum primo subglobosum, demum elongatum. 
Rachis nuda, demum elongata, basi squamis siccis quadrifariam imbricatis brac- 
teata, multiflora, Sguame staminifere pedicellate, subpeltate, dimidiate, hine 
antheram 4-locularem pendulam gerentes.—FaM. mentum ovatum, basi ut in 
mare, bracteatum, uniflorum. Discus carnosus hypogynus nullus. Ovulum erec- 
tum. Semen ovatum, basi squamis siccis haud grandefactis bracteatum, caeterum 
nudum ; ¢esta crassa extus carnoso-coriacea, intus fibrosa; tegmen crustaceum, 
durum. Albumen ruminatum. méryo subcylindricus, brevis; cotyledones con- 
natee.—Arbores. Rami patentes ; ramuli distiche oppositi. Folia disticha, linearia, 
rigida, mucronato-pungentia.— Arn. 
Torreya Myristica ; foliis biuncialibus et ultra longe mucronatis siccitate utrin- 
que planis subtus concoloribus lineisque duabus impressis, fructu magno 
exacte elliptico valde pulposo. 
* 
A beautiful evergreen tree, thirty to forty feet high, native of 
elevated regions in the Sierra Nevada of California, where it was 
discovered by Mr. William Lobb in 1851, who sent specimens 
and seeds home to Messrs. Veitch and Son, of the Exotic 
Nursery, Exeter, and King’s-road, Chelsea. The slightest glance 
at the internal structure of the fruit at once identifies this tree 
with the genus Zorreya of the southern United States, but only 
in the Aspalaga and Apalachicola country of Middle Florida. 
There has been discovered the Zorreya tawifolia of Dr. Arnott 
(in Taylor, Ann. of Nat. Hist. v. 1. p. 180, and in Hook. Ic. 
Plant. tab. 232 and 233). Those who are familiar with that 
species, now not very rare in our gard pl 
or who will revert to the figures } rt ith 
surprise that I have had no little difficulty in framing specific 
characters that shall clearly distinguish the two. On first aspect _ 
there is as much difference between them as_ ; 
the Cephalotaxus Fortuni (see our Tab. 4499 
Yew (setting the fruit aside). The Cephalota 
“May Isr, 1854. 
