THE TEW SUB-FAMILY. 387 



branches, producing a light wood. Other writers speak 

 of it as growing about 20 or 30 feet in height, and inhab- 

 iting the mountains in the islands of Niphon and &ikok, in 

 Japan. As this species is very rare in England, and only 

 in the possession of a few enthusiastic cultivators in this 

 country, our knowledge of its hardiness and habits 

 is necessarily quite limited. 



We have not tested it thoroughly in the open ground, 

 but have grown it for a few years past as a pot-plant, to 

 our great satisfaction. Our own small experience would 

 lead us to believe that it may be recommended for trial 

 with excellent chances of success. 



The branches are usually in whorls, but are occasionally 

 disposed alternately, or scattered, and the bark is very 

 scaly. The branchlets are numerous, quite short, and gen- 

 erally distichous. The oil extracted from the kernel of 

 the .seed is very astringent and unpalatable, but, accord- 

 ing to Kcempfer, it is used for culinary purposes. 







3. T. taxifolia, Arnott. YEW-LEAVED TORRETA. 

 Leaves, from 1 to 1^ inch long, linear, very sharp-pointed, 

 rigid, almost sessile, pungent, coriaceous, pale shining 

 green color. Branches, horizontal, spreading, with oppo- 

 site, 2-ranked branchlets. Fruit, about the size and shape 

 of a nutmeg, with a smooth, glaucous covering, and a hard, 

 bony testa. 



According to Chapman, this native Torreya is found in 

 rich soil, along the east bank of the Apalachicola River, 

 in Middle Florida. Nuttall, in describing it, says : " This 

 stately evergreen, resembling the Yew, was discovered in 

 Middle Florida, by the late lamented H. B. Croom, of Tal- 

 lahassee, and is sufficiently abundant around Aspalaga to 

 be used as timber, and sawed into planks. Prof. Torrey 

 and Mr. Croom describe it as a tree of from 6 to 18 inches 

 in diameter, and from 20 to 40 feet high, Avith numerous 

 spreading branches, the branchlets dividing into threes ; its 



