CHAPTER XII. 



THE YEW SUB-FAMILY TAXINEJE. 



Figure 61 gives a branch of the American variety of 

 Taxus baccata, with magnified flowers and fruit, to 

 illustrate the leading characters of this sub-family, which 

 are sufficiently described on pages 14 and 73. An en- 

 larged staminate ament is shown at a. The pistillate 

 ament, b, consists of a naked ovule in a cup-shaped disk$ 

 and surrounded by scales ; this is better seen in the sec- 

 tion, c. After fertilization, both the seed and disk increase 

 in size, the latter becoming pulpy, and at maturity con- 

 cealing the seed d and e show the fruit in different 



^j ' 



stages of growth. The mature fruit is given at f entire, 

 and at g in section. 



27. TAXUS, Toumefort.'YEW. 



Flowers usually dioecious and axillary. Sterile aments, 

 small, globular, few-flowered. Anther cells, 3 to 6 or 8, 

 inserted in clusters under the peltate scale. Fertile flow- 

 ers, scaly-bracted, solitaiy, with a single naked ovule 

 placed upright in the cup-shaped disk ; the latter becom- 

 ing berry-like, viscous, and pulpy in fruit, almost surround- 

 ing the nut-like seed. Leaves usually linear, rigid, decur- 

 rent, and mostly distichous. Cotyledons, 2. 



The Yew has been known and appreciated for ages, and 

 is yet one of the most esteemed evergreen trees. Al- 

 though growing very slowly, it possesses a peculiar tint 

 in the color of its foliage, so far unapproached by any 

 other genus of plants ; it is especially admired for its 

 372 



