CONIFERS. (FINE FAMILY.") 425 



1 T. disticlmiii, Richard. (AMERICAN BALD CYPI*PSS.) Leaves 

 linear and spreading; also awl-shaped and imbricated on flowering branchlets. 

 Swamps, from S. New Jei'sey ? and Delaware, to Virginia, Illinois, and 

 southward, where it is a very large and valuable tree. March, April. 



7. JUNIPERUS, L. JUNIPER. 



Flowers dioecious, or occasionally monoecious, in very small lateral catkins. 

 Anther-cells 3-6, attached to the lower edge of the shield-shaped scale. Fertile 

 catkins ovoid, of 3-6 fleshy 1-3-ovuled coalescent scales; in fruit forming a 

 sort of berry, scaly-bracted underneath. Seeds 1-3, bony. Cotyledons 2. 

 Evergreen trees or shrubs, with awl-shaped or scale-like rigid leaves often of two 

 shapes. (The classical name.) 



1. J. communis, L. (COMMON JUNIPER.) Leaves in threes, linear- 

 awl-shaped, prickly-pointed, spreading, bright green except the glaucous-white 

 upper surface. LVy sterile hills, New Jersey to Maine eastward, northward, 

 and along the Great Lakes. May. Shrub also spreading on the ground, or 

 rarely ascending, rigid. Berries dark purple, as large as a pea. (Eu.) 



2. J. Virgin! is iia, L. (RED CEDAR. SAVIN.) Leaves 4-ranked, 

 much crowded, on young plants and primary or rapidly-growing shoots awl- 

 shaped and somewhat spreading, in pairs or threes ; on older lateral twigs very 

 small and scale-like, closely imbricated, triangular-ovate. A branching shrub 

 or tree, sometimes 60-90 high ; or, var. HUMILIS, Hook., a widely spread- 

 ing or almost prostrate shrub. Dry, rocky or sterile hills ; common, extending 

 both northward and southward: the prostrate variety chiefly high northern. 

 April. Wood odorous, reddish, very compact and durable. Berries small, 

 purplish with a glaucous bloom. 



SUBORDER III. TAXINEJE. THE YEW FAMILY. 



8. TAX US, Tourn. YEW. 



Flowers mostly dioecious, axillary from scaly buds ; the sterile in small glob- 

 ular catkins formed of naked stamens: anther-cells 3-8 under a shield-like 

 somewhat lobed connective. Fertile flowers solitary, scaly-bracted at the base, 

 consisting merely of an erect sessile ovule; soon a cup-shaped disk around its 

 base, which becomes pulpy and berry-like (globular and red) in fruit, and partly 

 encloses the nut-like seed. Cotyledons 2. Leaves evergreen, flat, mucron ate, 

 rigid, scattered, 2-ranked. (The classical name, probably from Tof-ov^a bow; 

 the wood being used for bows.) 



1. T. baccfatsi. L., var. Canadensis. (AMERICAN YEW. GROUND 

 HEMLOCK,) Stems diffusely spreading ; leaves linear, green both sides. (T. 

 Canadensis, W'dld.) Moist banks and hills, near streams, especially in the 

 shade of evergreens : common northward, extending southward only along the 

 Allcghanies. April. Our Yew is a low and straggling or prostrate bush, 

 never forming an ascending trunk. (Eu.) 





36* 



