JUNIPERUS— TAXUS 41 



the autumn of the third year; seeds 1-3, with distinct resin vesicles: 

 communis, L. common. 



Throughout the cooler parts of the north temperate regions, growing 

 as far south as Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Arizona, the Himalayas and the 

 Mediterranean region. The most widely distributed of the conifers and 

 the most widely distributed tree of the temperate zone. In Minnesota 

 it occurs more or less throughout the state, most abundantly in the north 

 and east. 



Wood similar to red cedar, but not of sufficient size in this state to 

 be of any value. The nearly ripe berries are used medicinally as a diur- 

 etic-, and are employed in the manufacture of gin. 



This species passes into the northern and alpine form, 



Juniperus communis var. sibirica (Burgsdorf) Rydberg 1896 

 J. sibirica Burgsdorf 1787 

 J. nana Willdenow 1796 



A prostrate shrub with broader curved leaves often less than 10 mm. 

 long. 



Taxaceae Yew Family 



Trees or shrubs with evergreen leaves of various types ; flowers mo- 

 noecious or dioecious, the staminate consisting of a more or less elongated 

 axis which bears the variously formed stamens, the pistillate various but 

 seldom cone-like, the ovules naked, usually not concealed, the seed usually 

 exposed at maturity, furnished with a fleshy outer coat. 



Taxus L i n 11 e 1753 Yew 

 (L. taxus, yew tree, probably from Gr. t o x o n, a bow.) 



Non-resinous trees or shrubs; leaves evergreen, flattened, linear, bit- 

 ter, borne alternately in a close spiral, but twisted so as to appear two- 

 ranked ; staminate flowers consisting of 4-12 peltate stamens borne at 

 the top of a short naked axis, pistillate flower of a single naked erect 

 ovule borne at the top of a short scaly axis; seed exposed, surrounded by 

 a fleshy, bag-like aril which becomes scarlet at maturity. 



Taxus canadensis Marshall 1785 American Yew 

 T. baccata var. minor Michaux 1796 



A low green shrub about 1 m. high with the characters of the genus; 

 leaves linear, acute and sharply mucrbnate, bitter and not at all resinous: 

 canadensis, Canadian. 



