313 TAXUS. 



A fine evergreen tree, forming beautiful forests in Northern 

 India, some trees measuring fifteen feet in girth four feet from 

 the ground. It is common on the Mountains of Nepal, between 

 8j000 and 10,000 feet of elevation, and in Kamaoon, Gurhwal, 

 Kedarkanta, Sirmore, on the Mountains of Tibet, and between 

 Moulmein and Northern Siam, as well as in Sikkim, where it 

 does not descend below 9,000 feet. 



The leaves and bark are used for tea by the hill people, and 

 is called ' Thoona,' or ' Thooner-Birmee,' in the British Hima- 

 layas ; 'Loosah,' by the mountain people in Kamaoon ; ' Ting-shi,' 

 in Sikkim ; ' Pung-cha,' in Kunawur ; and ' Dheyri/ or ' Lolsi,' 

 in Nepal. The people of Ludakh import the leaves and bark 

 of the ' Pung-cha ' (Tea-tree) from Kunavv^ur, not only for tea, 

 but also as yielding a red dye, under its Cashmere name of 

 ' Chatoong.' The leaves when gathered for tea, are first exposed 

 in the sun for two days, and afterwards, when dry, mixed with 

 gum, to give them the appearance of tea. 



Most writers on Indian Coniferse, unaccountably confound 

 this kind with the Japan Taxus nucifera of Thunberg (now Tor- 

 reya nucifera), an error which Professor Zuccarini pointed out 

 in his Morphology of the Coniferae, pp. 52, 53, after examining 

 Dr. Wallich's specimens ; and, ascertaining that the Indian 

 plant was a true Yew, and not a Torreya, gave it the name of 

 Taxus VVallichiana, in compliment to Dr. "Wallich. 



It is quite hardy, and worthy of being tried, along with the 

 common Yew, as a substitute for Tea, in the same way as 

 used by the hill people of India ; for it is very well known 

 that cattle, eating the fresh green leaves and shoots of the 

 common Yew, are poisoned,] while if eaten in a dried state, 

 they are perfectly harmless. 



