Postelsia 149 
and purple in color and falls away in scales, so 
that in old trees it is marked with broad, shallow 
depressions. It, however, always maintains a 
very smooth surface. Despite this fact, in the 
damp Vancouver forests the trunk and branches 
of the yew are nearly always covered with a 
very heavy growth of mosses and lichens, often 
to a much greater extent than those of other trees 
with rougher bark. 
Fruiting specimens of this tree may be read- 
ily identified by the peculiar fruits looking, when 
half-grown, like minute green acorns, and when 
ripe, conspicuous on account of the thick, fleshy, 
bright red aril which almost covers the seed. 
On account of the twisting of the petioles, the 
leaves of this tree appear two-ranked, although 
they are inserted spirally. ‘The same character 
occurs to a greater or less extent in several other 
conifers of the region, but in none of them is it 
as perfectly developed as in the yew. In this 
respect it is most closely approached by the 
western hemlock, from which it may be readily 
distinguished by its sharp-pointed leaves, those 
of the hemlock being rounded or blunt. More- 
