LXXVI. TAXA CE^ : 



Ta'xus. 



939 



covered by a crustaceous testa. Embryo in the axis of the albumen. Ra- 

 dicle at the apex of the seed, having an organic connexion with the albumen. 

 (G. Do7i.) 



Leaves simple, alternate or distichous, exstipulate, evergreen or deciduous ; 

 mostly linear. Trees or shrubs ; natives of Europe, Asia, and North 

 America. 



The genera ai% three, which are thus characterised : 



T.k'xvs. Dioecious. Anthers of 4 6 cells. Nut, or seed, surrounded by a 



fleshy cupular disk. 

 Torre'y^. Dioecious. Anther 8-celled. Seed not surrounded by a fleshy 



disk, but by scales. 

 Salisbu^r/^." Dioecious. Anthers 2-celled. Seed, or nut, covered by the fleshy 



persistent disk. 



Genus I. 





TA'XUS L. The Yew. Lin. Syst. Dioe^cia Monadelphia. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., 532. ; Juss., 412. ; FI. Br., 108G. ; Tourn., t. 362. ; Lam., t. 829. ; Gaertn., 

 t. 81. ; N. Du Ham., 1. p. 61. ; Rich. Uim. Conif., p 131. t. 2. 



Derivation. From toxon, a bow ; being formerly much used in making them : or from taxis, ar- 

 ranuement ; from the leaves being arranged on the branches liite the teeth of a comb: or from 

 toxicmn, poison ; though Pliny says that poison (toxiQiun) was so named from this tree, which was 

 considered poisonous. The derivation of the term Yew is supposed to be from the Celtic word 

 iw, sometimes pronounced if, and signifying verdure ; alluding to the yew being an evergreen : 

 and this will also explain the French name, if. 



Gen. Char. Male fioiuer consisting of anthers upon short pedicels, at the 

 top of a column that has imbricate scales at the base. Anthers with 4, 5, 6, 

 or rarely more, 1-celled lobes, attached to the connectivum, whose tip is a 

 horizontal shield, lobed at the edge ; its lobes corresponding in number and 

 place vsrith those of the anthers, and covering them ; the cells opening 

 longitudinally. Female Jlower an erect ovule, perfect at the tip; with 

 an "unobvious annular disk at its base ; and, exterior to this, investing 

 imbricate scales. Fruit the disk at the base of the ovule, which becomes 

 a fleshy open cup. Seed like a nut. 



Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, evergreen ; linear, acute, rigid, more 

 or less 2-rowed in direction. Flowers whitish. Fruit red, pulpy. Low 

 trees and shrubs, evergreen ; natives of Europe, Asia, and North America. 

 Propagated by seeds or layers, in common soil. 



1 \. T. BACCA^TA L. The berried, 07- co)w?7ion. Yew. 



Identification. Lin. Sp. PI., 1472. ; Eng. Hot., t. 746. 



Synonymes. Taxus, No. 1663., Hall. Hist. 2. p. 322. ; If, Fr. ; Ifenbaum, Ihenbaum, or Eihenbaum, 

 Ger. ; Taxo, Ital. ; Texo, Span. ,jf,,. u 



The Sexes. The yew being almost always raised from seed, the male and female plants may be sup- 

 posed to be nearly equally distributed, both in natural woods and in artificial plantations. Both 

 sexes are sometimes found on the same tree. As far as we have been able to observe, says White 

 of Selborne, the male tree becomes much larger than the female one. 



Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 746. ; N. Du Ham., 1. t. 19. ; the plates of this tree m Arb. Brit., 1st 

 edit., vol. viii. ; and our fig. 1752. 



Sjwc. Char., S^-c. Leaves 2-ranked, crowded, linear, flat. Receptacle of the 

 barren flowers globular. (Smith.) An evergreen tree. Europe gene- 

 rally ; in loamy soils and shady situations. Height 20 ft. to 30 ft., rarely 

 40 ft. Flowers white ; March and April. Fruit red ; ripe in September. 



Far ie ties. 



T T. b. 2 fastigidta. T. fastigiata Lindl. ; T. hibernica Hook., Lodd. 

 Cat. ed. 1836; (the plate of this tree in Arb. Brit., 1st edit., vol. 

 viii. ; and our^g. 1751.) the upright, or Florence Court, Yew; the 

 Irish Yew. Discovered wild at the former place about 1780. 

 This is a very distinct variety, readily distinguished from the spcH;ies 



