126 THE CONIFEROUS PLANTS OF ITALY. 



VI.-TAXUS. 

 1. Taxus baccata. Linn. 



The yew is occasionally found on the Alps (Le^none, Baldo 

 according to Pollini ; the mountains of Piedmont — Allioni), and 

 on the Apennines (Cima dei monti, Montamiata — Santi). Su- 

 biaco (Sebastiani and Mauri) ; Monte Acuto (Orsini) ; Mount 

 Gargano (della Torre and Giordano) ; Matese (according to Te- 

 nore) ; it is probably not wild in the plains. Its lower limits are 

 1000 feet on the Alps, and 2000 feet on the Central Apennines; 

 its upper limit reaches the region of the Conifers and that of the 

 Ash in the Apennines. 



It is found on the western and northern slopes of the Alps, in 

 the mountains of Central Europe, in Scotland, and in the Scan- 

 dinavian Peninsula. Its nortliern limit is 61° in Scandinavia 

 CGefle, Bergen), and 58' in Scotland. It also occurs in the 

 Pyrenees, in Spain (Ortega), and in Greece, as a mountain 

 plant, as well as on the Caucasus. According to Hooker, it 

 grows near Lake Huron and in other places ; by others, how- 

 ever, the species found there is considered distinct (Taxus ame- 

 ricana). 



From the preceding abstract it appears that ten Conifers (viz. 

 Pinus sylvestris, Pumilio, Cemhra ; Abies excelsa, pectinata; 

 Larix europcBa ; Juniperus communis, nana, Sabina ; Taxus 

 baccata) are found on the Alps, which may therefore, with re- 

 spect to these plants, be taken to represent all Europe. With 

 regard to the heights at which these species are found, we may 

 class them thus : — • 



To the Alpine region belong Juniperus nana and Pinus Pu- 

 milio. To the region of the Conifers, Pinus Cembra, Larix 

 europcp.a, Abies excelsa : tlie two latter however are found at a 

 less elevation. To the region of the Beech and the Oak belong 

 Pifius sylvestris, Taxus baccata, Juniperus communis, Abies 

 pectinata and Juniperus Sabina. Here and there they descend 

 to the region of the Chesnut-tree. Juniperus communis is even 

 found in the plain of the Po. 



The north of Europe possesses only six wild Conifers, of which 

 four are found in Great Britain, viz. Pinus sylvestris, Taxus 

 baccata, Juniperus communis and nana; Scandinavia furnishes 

 in addition to these Abies excelsa; the sixth, Larix europcea, is 

 found in the northern plain of European Russia. 



To these six Conifers we must add Abies pectinata and Juni- 

 perus Sabina from the mountains of Central Europe, and Pinus 



