114 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



1 4. Van glauca. 



Taxus baccata glauca, Carrifere, Conif. 519 (1855). 



A vigorous shrub, with leaves, which are shining and dark green on the upper 

 surface, and glaucous blue beneath. 



E. Variety with differently coloured fruit. 



1 5. Var. fructu luteo. 



Taxus baccata fructu luteo; Loudon, loc. cit iv. 2068 (1838). 



This variety only differs from the common yew in the aril of the fruit being 

 yellow. A tree of this kind was discovered about the year 181 7 at Glasnevin, near 

 Dublin, growing on the property of the Bishop of Kildare. 



Cuttings, however, were first distributed from a tree noticed in the grounds of 

 Clontarf Castle in 1838. This tree^ was about 50 feet high in 1888. At Ardsallagh, 

 Co. Meath, the residence of Mrs. M'Cann, there is a tree 30 feet high and 7 feet in 

 girth, with yellow fruit, occurring in an avenue of old yews. There are several trees 

 of this kind at Powerscourt,^ the best one of which was about 40 feet high in 1888. 

 Bushes raised from the seeds of these trees are reported to be bearing yellow berries, 

 from which it would appear that this variety comes true from seed. It is remarkable 

 that all the yellow-berried yews known, except the one mentioned above as collected 

 at Manipur, should occur in the neighbourhood of Dublin. 



F. Variety with small leaves. 



16. Var. adpressa. 



Taxus baccata adpressa, Carrifere, Rev. Horticole, 1855, p. 93; Taxus adpressa, Gordon, 



Pinetum, 310. 

 Taxus tardiva, Lawson, ex Henkel and Hochstetter, Syn. Nadelh. 361. 

 Taxus sinensis tardiva. Knight, Syn. Conif. 52 (1850). 



A large spreading shrub with densely crowded branchlets, bearing remarkably 

 small broad leaves, arranged on the shoots, as in the common yew. The leaves are 

 dark green above, \-\ inch long, elliptic linear in outline, with a rounded apex, from 

 which is given off a short mucro. The aril is broad and shallow, not covering the 

 seed, which is 3-angled and often depressed at the summit. 



This is by far the most distinct of all the forms, geographical and horticultural, 

 not only in foliage, but also in fruit. It has been considered by many botanists 

 to be a distinct species, conjecturally of Japanese or Chinese origin. It is not 

 known in Japan,' except as a plant introduced from Europe ; and there is no 

 reason for doubting the positive information * as to its origin given by Messrs. James 

 Dickson and Sons and by the late Mr. F. T. Dickson of Chester, though there is a 

 slight discrepancy in their two accounts. The latter states that it was found as a 

 seedling by his father amidst some yew seedlings about 1 838, while the former give 



> Card. Chron. 1888, iv. 576. " Ibid. ^o^. 



Matsumura, Shokuhutsu Mei-I. 290 (1895). * Card. Chron. 1886, xxix. 221, 268. 



