120. TORREYA TAXIFOLIA YEW-LEAVED TOKREYA. 47 



ning the length of the leaf beneath, in flat 2-ranked sprays, rigid and sharply 

 bristle-pointed. Flowers dioecious, axillary, the sterile many together, in short 

 oblong aments, with bracts at the base, imbricated in 4 rows; stamens in the form of 

 peltate, pedicilate scales, bearing each 4 anther-cells at base; fertile aments ovoid, 

 1-tiowered, with solitary naked ovule surrounded with imbricated persistent bracts. 

 Fruit quite resembling a plum in appearance, sessile, glaucous, with fibre-fleshy 

 testa, which dries down to a thin wrinkled covering after falling, and hard smooth 

 nut-like inner coat, and embryo at the apex of a large ruminated albumen. 



Genus represented by trees of few species and named in compliment to the emi- 

 nent botanist, Dr. John Torry. 



120. TORREYA TAXIFOLIA, ARN. 

 YEW-LEAVED TORREYA, STINKING CEDAR, SAVIN. 



Ger., Stink-Ceder ; Fr., Torreya a feuilles d'lf; Sp., Cedro fetido . 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. Leaves about 1 in. in length, mostly linear-sululate; 

 widest at the base and gradually tapering to a mucronate tip. Flowers with yellow, 

 crowded sterile ameuts. Fruit about 1 in. or slightly more in length when fresh 

 (scarcely an inch when dry), with globose oblong, obtusely pointed and more or less 

 compressed nut. 



(The specific name, taxifolia, is from taxus, yew, and folium, leaf, alluding to a 

 resemblance in the leaf of this tree to those of the Tew.) 



A handsome tree of rather wide pyramidal habit of growth, occasion- 

 ally attaining the hight of 50 or 60 ft. (18 m.), with a trunk rarely 2 or 

 2-J ft. (0.75 m.) in diameter, with thin brown bark checking longitudi- 

 nally in thin scaly ridges. The odor of the crushed leaves is strong and 

 very much resembles that of the tomato vine. 



HABITAT. A very rare and local tree, being found only in Florida 

 along the Apalachicola River between Chattahoochee and Bristol, and 

 there, all but a small group of trees, on the eastern bank. It grows 

 along the slopes of that stream or of its tributaries nearby, in rich, moist 

 but well drained soil. It is found in such limited numbers that its ex- 

 termination is greatly to be feared, and the tree, as it were conscious of 

 that danger, seems wonderfully persistent of life. Indeed we have seen 

 few if any trees its equal in that respect. The trunks and stumps of 

 trees prostrated by the wind send up branches which eventually become 

 tree trunks themselves, roots being sent down from the opposite side, if 

 in contact with the soil and affording them support. Then quite com- 

 monly in the vicinity of the fruit-bearing trees may be seen seedlings in 

 all stages of growth, from a few inches to a few feet in hight. Nature 

 is certainly doing her part there in good earnest to perpetuate the 

 species. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood light, soft, strong, compact, very 

 close-grained, susceptible of a beautiful polish, easily worked and very 

 durable in contact with the soil. It is of a clear brownish-yellow color 



