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are dioecious, the pistillate and staminate flowers not being 

 found upon the same shrub or tree. They grow from the 

 bases of the leaves, and must be searched for on the under 

 surfaces of the stems, and it will be realised that only the 

 trees bearing the pistillate type of flower will be berry- 

 bearing. This physiological fact was not comprehended 

 for centuries after men began to study plants, so that we 

 find Gerard, for instance, making two distinct species of yew, 

 the " Ta.xiis glandifera bacciferaque, the Yew bearing Acornes 

 and berries," and the " Taxus tantum Jiorens, the Yew 

 which only floures." Of the first he says : " It seemes this 

 tree, if it were not hindred by cold weather, would alwaies 

 have Acornes and Berries on him, for he hath alwaies little 

 buds, which so soone as the Spring yeelds but a reasonable 

 heate, they growe into the forme of Acornes : about the 

 beginning of August, seldome before, you shall finde them 

 turned into ripe berries, and from that time till Christmasse, 

 or a little after, you may see on him both Acornes and red 

 berries." Of the second he writes : " The Yew, which only 

 beareth floures and no berries, is like the other in trunke, 

 timber, barke, and leaves, but at the beginning of Nouember, 

 or before, this tree doth beginne to be very thicke set or 

 fraught on the lower side or part of the twigs with small 

 round buds, verie neere and as big, and of the colour of 

 Radish seede, and do so continue all the Winter, till about 

 the middle of Februarie, when they open at the top, sending 

 forth one small sharpe pointall, garnished towards the top 

 with many little dusty things like floures ; and if you 

 shall beate or throw stones into this tree about the end 

 of Februarie, or a good space after, there will proceed 

 and fly from these floures an aboundance of dustie 



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