DIOECIA— MONADELPHIA. Taxus. '253 



Barr.Jl. Cal. none. Cor. none. Filam. numerous, united 

 in their lower part, forming a column, longer than the 

 bud. Aiith. depressed, in from 5 to 8 rounded segments, 

 bursting at the base all round ; subsequently becoming 

 flat and peltate. 



Fert.Jl. Cal. minute, inferior, cup-shaped, entire ; sub- 

 sequently enlarged, tumid and succulent, permanent. 

 Cor. none. Germ. su})erior, ovate, acute. Style none. 

 Stigma obtuse. J5t';v?/ spurious, formed of the enlarged, 

 pulpy, coloured calyx, not united to the seed, except 

 perhaps at the base. Seed 1, ovate-oblong, projecting 

 beyond the enlarged calyx. 



Evergreen trees, chiefly extraeuropaean, with numerous, 

 mostly linear, Quiwe leaves, slightly stalked, and axillary, 

 solitary, somewhat stalked, Jlo'dcers. 



LinniEus* and some eminentbotanists since his time, thought 

 the pulpy part of the fruit was an enlarged receptacle 

 rather than a calyx. The nature of this part is indeed 

 peculiar, nor has it any aflinity, as Linnaeus supposed, 

 to ihe fruit of Gaultheria. 



1 . T. bar cat a. Common Yew. 



Leaves two-ranked, crowded, linear, flat. Receptacle of 

 the barren flowers globular. 



T. baccata. Linn. Sp. PL 1472. miM. v. 4. Sr^fi. FL Br. 108(5. 

 Engl. Bof. v.W.t. 746. Hook. Scol. 2[)0. Lifrhff. G2G. Fl. Dan. 

 t.\240. BuU.fr.t. 13G. Dicks.II.Sicc.fasc.\6.6. Elnh.Jrb. .'){). 



T. n. lCfi.3. Hcdl. Hist. V. 2. '322. 



Taxus. Raii Srjn. 44."). Ger. Em. 1370./. Bauh. Hist. v. 1 . />. 2. 

 2 11./. Mntfh. Valgr. v. 2. 444./ Cdmer. Epit. 840./. 



In mouniuinoiis woods, and on the ledges of limestone cliffs. 



'I'ree. March, April. 



Tr/zn A- straight, variously channelled longitudinally, with a smooth 

 deciduous /x/r/t ; und'hori/ontal branches, spreading in opposite 

 directions. Leaves scattered, nearly sessile, two-ranked, linear, 

 entire, very slightly revulute, about an inch long; dark-green, 

 smooth and shining above; paler, with a prominent mid-rib, 

 beneath, terminating in a small harmless |)oint. Fl. axillary, 

 solitary, each from a scaly imbricated hnil ; the l)arren ones 

 ligla-b'rown, white with ;d)'undant />o//«/? ; fertile green, resem- 

 bling, with their scaly hraclras, a little acorn. Fruit drooping, 

 consisting of a sweet, internally glutinous, scarlet /'crry, open 

 at the top, enclosing an oval brown sad, unconnecteil with the 

 flesiiy j)art. 



