100 



TREES OF NORTH AMERICA 



Taxus with six species, which can be distinguished only by their leaf characters and 

 habit, is widely distributed through the northern hemisphere, and is found in east- 

 ern North America where two species occur, in Pacific North America, Mexico, Europe 

 northern Africa, western and southern Asia, China and Japan. Of the exotic species 

 the European, African, and Asiatic Taxus baccata, L., and its numerous varieties, is 

 often cultivated in the United States, especially in the more temperate parts of the 

 country, and is replaced with advantage by the hardier Taxus cuspidata, S. & Z., of 

 eastern Asia in the northern states, where the native shrubby Taxus Canadensis, 

 Marsh, with monoecious flowers is sometimes cultivated. 



Taxus, from rd^os, is the classical name of the Yew-tree. 



CONSPECTUS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN ARBORESCENT SPECIES. 



Leaves short, yellow-green. 



Leaves elongated, usually falcate, dark green. 



1. T. brevifolia (G). 



2. T. Floridana (C). 



1. Taxus brevifolia, Nutt. Yew. 



Leaves ^-f' long, about ^^g' wide, dark yellow-green above, rather paler below, 

 with stout midribs, and slender yellow petioles ^^' long, persistent for four or five 

 years. Flovrers and fruit as in the genus. 



A tree, usually 40-50 but occasionally 70-80 high, with a tall straight trunk 

 l-2 or rarely 4^ in diameter, frequently unsymmetrical, with one diameter much 

 exceeding the other, and irregularly lobed, with broad rounded lobes, and long slender 

 horizontal or slightly pendulous branches forming a broad open conical head. Bark 

 about ^' thick and covered with small thin dark red-purple scales. "Wood heavy, 

 hard, strong, bright red, with thin light yellow sapwood; used for fence-posts and by 

 the Indians of the northwest coast for paddles, spear-handles, bows, and other small 

 articles. 



Distribution. Banks of mountain streams, deep gorges, and damp ravines, grow- 

 ing usually under large coniferous trees; nowhere abundant, but widely distributed 



usually in single individuals or in small clumps from Queen Charlotte Islands and 

 the valley of the Skeena River, southward along the coast ranges of British Colum- 

 bia, Washington, and Oregon, where it attains its greatest size, along the coast ranges 

 of California as far south as the Bay of Monterey, and along the western slopes of 



