150 postelsia 



over the foliage of the yew differs from that of 

 the other conifers of this region in that it con- 

 tains no resin and therefore is not at all aromatic, 

 but lias a purely bitter taste. 



The wood of the yew is hard, strong, fine- 

 grained and durable, l)ut on account of the com- 

 paratively small size of the trees it is little used. 



The seedling has two seed-leaves. 



fa:\iilv itnace.^ 



Resinous trees or shrul)s with monoecious or 

 dioecious axillary or terminal flowers either 

 solitary or forming inlh^rescences. Staminate 

 flowers usually cone-like with an elongated axis 

 bearing the stamens and usually some sterile 

 basal scales; stamens often leaf-like; pollen sacs 

 two to many on each stamen. Pistillate flower 

 cone-like, com})osed of an elongated axis bearing 

 two to many fertile carpels, with or without 

 similar sterile scales; ovules one to niany on 

 each carpel, erect or inverted, provided with 

 two integuments, seldom exceeding the carpels 

 and usually concealed by the latter. Seeds 

 often winged, with a woody or leathery testa, 



