in Extra-Tropical Countries. 371 



northward to lat. 71 10' (Schuebeler). This well-known plant is 

 mentioned, as it can be brought under regular cultivation, to obtain the 

 medicinal extract from its roots. It is also considered wholesome to 



? razing animals. The young leaves furnish a medicinal salad, 

 t is also an important honey-plant and flowers early in the 

 season. 



Tarchonanthus camphoratus, Linn. 



South-Africa. This bush deserves attention, being of medicinal 

 value. As an odorous garden-plant it is also very acceptable. 



Taxodium distichum, Richard.* 



Virginian Swamp- or Bald-Cypress. In swampy places of Eastern 

 North-America, extending from 38 to 47 north latitude. Thought 

 to attain occasionally an age of 2,000 years; wood -rings to the num- 

 ber of about 4,000 have been counted, but perhaps these not all fully 

 annual. A valuable tree, 100 feet high or more, sometimes with a 

 stem-circumference of 40 feet above the conical base; of rapid 

 growth; foliage deciduous, like that of the Larch and Ginkgo. Im- 

 portant as antimalarian for wet fever-regions. It is found fossil in 

 the miocene formation of many parts of Europe. The wood is fine- 

 grained, hard, strong, light, elastic and very durable, splits well; it is 

 much used for shingles, rails, cabinet-work and planks; it is almost 

 indestructible in water. The tree requires a rich soil, a well-sheltered 

 site, with much moisture but also good drainage (Lawson). It yields 

 a superior kind of turpentine, and thus also much oil on distillation. 

 Useful for avenues on swampy margins of lakes or river-banks. Dr. 

 Porcher says, " This tree, lifting its giant-form above the others,, 

 gives a striking feature to many of the swamps of Carolina and 

 Georgia; they seem like watch-towers for the feathered race." 



Taxodium mucronatum, Tenore. 



The famed Montezuma-Cypress of Mexico; to 120 feet high, with 

 a trunk reaching 44 feet in circumference; it forms extensive forests 

 between Chapultepec and Tescuco. 



Taxus baccata, Linn. 



Yew. Europe, North- Africa and Asia, in the Himalayas up to 

 11,000 feet elevation. In Norway it extends northward to lat. 67 

 30' (indigenous); Professor Schuebeler found it to attain still a 

 height of 45 feet and a circumference of 4 feet in lat 59 26'. Gener- 

 ally a shrub, finally a tree as many as 100 feet high; it furnishes a 

 yellow or brown wood, which is exceedingly tough, elastic and 

 durable, and much esteemed by turners; one of the best of all woods 

 for bows. Simmonds observed, that " a post of yew will outlast a 

 post of iron." Much valued also for pumps, piles and water-pipes, 

 as more lasting than any other wood; also for particular musical in- 

 struments, the strongest axletrees and select implements. The tree 

 is of very slow growth, but attains a great age, perhaps three thou- 

 sand years; some ancient ones are known with a stem of 50 feet in 



