DIOECIA— MONADELPIIIA. Taxiis. §53 



Barr. fl. Cal. none. Cor. none. Filam. numerous, iniited 

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

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

 bui'sting at the base all round; subsequently becomino- 

 flat and peltate. 



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

 sequently enlarged, tumid and succulent, permanent. 

 Cor. none. Germ, superio)', ovate, acute. Style none. 

 Stigma obtuse. jB^'r;^/ 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 extraeuropsan, with numerous, 

 mostly linear, entire leaves^ slightly stalked, and axillary, 

 solitary', somewhat stalked, ^owe;,s. 



Linnaeus, and some eminent botanists 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 affinity, as Linnaeus supposed, 

 to i\\Q fruit of Gaidtheria. 



\. T. baccata. Common Yew. 



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

 the barren flowers globular. 



T. baccata. Linn. Sp. PI. 1472. fVilld. v. 4. 856. FL Br. 1086. 

 Engl. Bot.v. W.t. 746. Hoo/c. Scot. 290. Light/. 626. FL Dan. 

 ^.1240. BulLFr.t.\36. Dicks. H.Sicc.fasc.l6.6. Ehrh.Arb.bO. 



T. n. 1 663. HaU. Hist. v. 2. 322. 



Taxus. Raii Sm. 445. Ger. Em. 1 370./. Bauh. Hist. v. 1 .p. 2. 

 24 1 ./. Maiih. Valgr. v. 2. 444./. Corner. Epit. 840./ 



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



Tree. March, ApriL 



Trunk straight, variously channelled longitudinally, with a smooth 

 deciduous bark; and hovxzonidX branches, spreading in opposite 

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

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

 smooth and shining above 3 paler, with a prominent mid-rib, 

 beneath, terminating in a small harmless point. Fl. axillary, 

 solitary, each from a scaly imbricated bud; the barren ones 

 light-brown, white with abundant poZZe?i; fertile green, resem- 

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

 consisting of a sweet, internally glutinous, scarlet berry, open 

 at the top, enclosing an oval brown seed, unconnected with the 

 fleshy part. 



