TORREYA NUCIFERA. 119 



Torreya nucifera. 



An under-shrub or small tree 20 30 feet high but in favourable 

 situations attaining the dimensions of a large tree upwards of 80 feet 

 high with a trunk 4 5 feet in diameter covered with red bark. 

 Primary branches spreading, in old trees sometimes sub-pendulous ; 

 branchiets distichous and opposite ; bark of young shoots green 

 changing to reddish brown the second year. Terminal buds in. threes 

 of which the axial one is the largest, spindle-shaped, sheathed by three 

 four decussate pairs of light brown membraneous perular scales. Leaves 

 persistent three four years, linear-lanceolate, acute, 0'75 1'25 inch 

 long, terminating in a sharp spine, spirally arranged around the axis 

 but rendered pseudo-distichous by a half twist of the short petiole, very 

 coriaceous and rigid, dark lustrous green above, paler beneath with a shallow 

 channel 011 each side of the midrib. Staminate flowers oblong-ellipsoid, 

 about 0'5 inch long. Fruit ovoid-elliptic, less than an inch long. 



Torreya nucifera, Siebold and Zuccarini, Fl. Jap. II. 64, t. 129 (1842). Endlicher, 

 Synops. Conif. 240 (1847). Carriere, Traite Conif. ed. II. 724 (1867). Parlatore, 

 I). C. Prodr. XVI. 505. Hoopes, Evergreens, 386. Gordon, Pinet. ed. II. 411. 

 Beissner, Nadelholzk. 186. Masters in Journ. Linn. Soc. XVIII. 500 ; and in 

 Journ. R. Hort. Soc. XIV. 254. 



Taxus nucifera, Linnaeus, Sp. Plant, ed. I. 1040 (1753), and ed. II. 1472 (1764). 

 Tlmnberg, Fl. Jap. 275 (1784). L. C. Richard, Mem. sur les Conif. 21 (1826). 



Eng. Japanese Torreya. Fr. Porte-noix Torreya. Germ. Nusstragende Torreye. 

 Ital. Torreya giapponese. Jap. Kaya. 



Torreya nucifera occurs in the southern islands of Japan and in 

 the forests of southern and central Hondo, attaining its greatest 

 development on the banks of the river Kisagawa, " rising to a height 

 of 80 feet, and forming a tree unequalled in the massiveness. of its 

 appearance and in the beauty of its bright red bark and lustrous 

 dark green, almost black foliage."* On the south-west coast of Hondo 

 where it is associated with Camellias, Diospyros Kaki and other garden 

 favourites it is somewhat different from the inland tree ; the head is 

 more dense and with a rounded top not unlike that of some of the 

 older Yews in this country ; the leaves too are shorter, narrower and 

 more pointed. The wood is strong and straight-grained ; it is much 

 valued for building and cabinet-making. 



The Japanese Torreya first became known to science through Ksempfer, 

 who figured and described it in his " Amoenitates," published in 1712. 

 According to Aiton, it was cultivated in England in 1764 by Captain 

 Thomas Cornwall under the Linnsean name of Taxus nucifera^ but 

 was subsequently lost ; it was re-introduced into European gardens by 

 Dr. Siebold about the year 1840 or a little earlier. 



Torreya taxifolia. 



A tree occasionally 40 feet in height with a short trunk 1 2 feet 

 in diameter, producing when cut, many vigorous shoots from the 

 stump and roots and whorls of spreading or slightly pendulous branches, 



* Sargent, Silva of North Aiuerica, X. 56. 

 t Hortus Kewensis, ed. II. Vol. V. p. 416. 



