62 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERS 



taining 6-12 seeds which are ovoid, compressed, about | in. long, 

 shining brown. Cotyledons two. 



This remarkable conifer forms a connecting link between 

 Pinacece and Taxacece. It is alUed both to Podocarpus and 

 Araucaria, resembling the former in the foliage and the latter in 

 the female flowers and wingless pollen grains while the ripe fruit 

 suggests that of a juniper. 



S. conspicua is a native of Chile and W. Patagonia, where it 

 occurs in dense forests in the lower mountain regions. It was 

 discovered in S. Chile by Wilham Lobb in 1846 and introduced 

 into cultivation by him the following year. It was named in 

 honour of the Prince Consort, who was a great patron of horti- 

 culture. 



Saxegothea is hardy in a sheltered position at Kew, but grows 

 very slowly. At Strete Raleigh near Exeter there are two fine 

 specimens, probably two of the first introduced plants. A few 

 years ago they were about 35 ft. high and well branched to the 

 ground. There are also good specimens in Irish gardens. 



Little is known of the value of the wood in S. America, but 

 there is a sample of paper prepared from it in the Museums at 

 Kew. 



Stiles, iVfW Phyt. vii, 209, with figs. (1908) ; Stiles, Ann. Bot. xxvi, 446, 463 

 (1912) ; Elwes and Henry, Trees of Gt. Brit, and Ireland, vi, 1458 (1912 ) ; Clinton- 

 Baker, foe. cit. iii, 73 (1913). 



TAXUS, Linnaeus. 



Yews. 



Evergreen trees and shrubs of which seven species, indigenous 

 and widely distributed in N. America, E. Asia, and Asia Minor, 

 have been described. Although differing in foliage characters 

 no more than in some forms of common yew, they occupy well- 

 defined geographical areas and from this point of view are prob- 

 ably best kept distinct.^ The essential characters of the genus, 

 economic uses and cultivation are given under the description of 

 Taxus haccata. 



Taxus baccata, Linnaeus. (Fig. 8.) 



Common Yew. 



A densely branched tree 30-60 ft. high, developing when old a 

 short, massive trunk 20 ft. or more in girth. Bark reddish-brown, 

 thin and scaly. Branchlets spreading, alternate, surrounded at 

 the base by brownish scales. Buds with obtuse, overlapping 

 scales. Leaves spirally arranged, spreading all round in erect 

 shoots but appearing more or less two-ranked on horizontal 



^ Pilger, Pfianzenreich, iv, 5, p. 110 (1903), ranks all the yews as sub- 

 species. 



