conifeii;e. 277 



SPECIES l.-TAXUS BAG CAT A. L!nn. 

 Plate MCCCLXXXIV. 

 Belch. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XT. Tali. DXXXIIT. ¥\<r. U\7. 



Leaves numerous, paler and yellowisli beneath, ^\vM\y reflexed, 

 strapshaped, abruptly acuminate. Flowers sessib-, axillary. 



Var. a, vulgaris. 

 T. baccata, Lindley, Syn. Brit. Fl. p. 241. 



Branches spreading. Leaves bifiirious. 



Yar. ^^fustigiata. 



T. fustigiata, Lindley, Sjb. Brit. Fl. p. 241. 



Branches suberect. Leaves pointing in all directions. 



On rocks, especially of limestone, chalky l)anks, and in woods. 

 Widely distributed in England and the southern half of Scotland, ))ut 

 probably not native in the latter country, unless it be so at (ilennre, 

 Upper Lorn, Argyle, where Lightfoot states that, in 1777, there were 

 the remains of an old wood of yew trees. IJare, but truly native in 

 the north and west of Ireland. Yar. 3 is the Irish or Florence Court 

 yew, and is perhaps a monstrosity rather than a variety, as only two 

 trees of it have ever been found wild, these were found near Florence 

 Court, CO. Fermanagh. 



England, Scotland ( ?), Ireland. Tree. Spring. 



An erect tree of no great height, but often with a veiy thick 

 trunk and long spreading branches. Leaves, though inserted all round 

 the twigs, spreading right and left, \ to 1] inch long, dark, glos.sy 

 green above, dull yellowish green below, somewhat fleshy, terniinat«;d 

 by a short, -weak, not pungent point. Flowers diavious. Male 

 flowers in minute subglobose yellowish catkins. Female flowers with 

 greenish bracts at the base. Fruit formed by the enlargement of 

 the disk, the size of a large pea or small l)lack currant, somewhat 

 cylindrical, about as long as broad, truncate and excavated at the 

 a[)ex, where the naked seed is exposed, bright red, dim, with a thin 

 skin containing an abundance of slimy juice. Seed al)out the size 

 of a sweet pea, placed in the enlarged lieshy berryhke cup, olive- 

 brown, roundish-ovoid, compressed, coarsely punctured. 



The var. 3 has the leaves of a darker green, and is very diff*' rent m 

 habit from the common yew. Only the female ]>lant of it is known, 

 which produces seed when fertilised by the pollen of the common 

 yew, but the offspring of this crossing are said to be always var. a. 



