1772 



TAXODIUM 



TAXUS 



of which the following are the most important: Var. 

 fastigiatum, Knight. With slender, upright, virgate 

 branches sparingly ramified. Var. microphyllum, Carr. 

 Shrub, with short spreading branches; the lateral 

 branchlets with typical foliage, those of the longer 

 branches gradually passing 

 toward the end into small, 

 scale - like, imbricate Ivs. 

 Var. nanum, Carr. Dwarf, 

 shrubby form, with numer- 

 ous short branches. Var. 

 nutans, Ait. Branches 

 spreading, long and slender, 

 nodding at the tips. Var. 

 pendulum ndvum, P. Smith. 

 A graceful form with slen- 

 der, pendulous branchlets. 

 Var. pyramidatum, Carr. 

 Narrow pyramidal form with 

 short ascending branches. 



T. mucronatum, A. Ten. (T. 

 Mexieanurn, Carr.). Tall tree, 

 occasionally 170 ft. high, with a 

 trunk 20 ft. or more in diame- 

 ter: Ivs. evergreen. Mex. G. 

 F. 3:155. G.C. III. 12:647. -T. 

 heterophjjllum, Brongn. (Glyp- 

 tostrobus heterophyllus, Endl.). 

 Shrub, 10 ft. high: lower 

 branches pendulous: Ivs. linear 

 and scale - like on the same 

 plant: cones ovoid, % in. long. 

 China. Tender and rarely cult. 

 Often confounded with vars. of 

 T. distichum. 



ALFRED REHDER. 



2469. Bald Cypress Taxo- 

 diutn distichum. 



(Natural size of Ivs. is %"% 

 inch long.) 



TAXUS (ancient Latin name of the Yew). Conifers. 

 YEW. Ornamental evergreen trees or shrubs, with 2- 

 ranked linear leaves, insignificant flowers and showy 

 l>3rry-like red fruits. The best known species is T. 

 b.tccata, which is hardy as far north as Rhode Island 

 and northwestern New York, while T. cuspidata and 

 T. Canadensis are considerably hardier and thrive as 

 far north as Canada; the other species are little known 

 in cultivation. The Yews are very desirable evergreens 

 for park planting; they are densely clothed with dark 

 green foliage and the pistillate plants are particularly 

 beautiful in autumn when loaded with scarlet fruits. 

 They are well suited for hedges and easily trimmed 

 into any desired shape. They were formerly much used 

 for fantastic topiary work (see e. g., G.C. II. 2:264, 

 265). 



That the typical tree-like form of the Yew is nowadays 

 not much planted is chiefly due to its slow growth, but 

 the numerous mostly shrubby garden forms are popular 

 plants for small gardens. The Yews thrive best in a 

 moderately moist sandy loam and endure shade well. 

 Large plants may be successfully transplanted if it is 

 possible to secure a sufficient ball of earth with the 

 roots. Prop, by seeds, which do not germinate until 

 the second year, and by cuttings taken early in autumn 

 and kept during the winter in a cool greenhouse or 

 frame; the varieties also often by grafting on the type 

 in early spring in the greenhouse, or sometimes by lay- 

 ers. Plants raised from cuttings grow much slower 

 than grafted ones and cuttings of the type rarely grow 

 into trees but usually into low-spreading shrubs (see 

 M.D.G. 1898:565). 



Six species are known. They are distributed through 

 the northern hemisphere and in America south to 

 Mexico. They are all very closely allied and could be 

 considered geographical varieties of a single species. 

 Trees or shrubs: Ivs. linear, without resin-ducts, pale or 

 yellowish green beneath, usually 2-ranked: fls. usually 

 dioecious, solitary and axillary, rarely terminal, small, 

 appearing in early spring; staminate globose, composed 

 of 4-8 stamens each, with 3-8 anther-cells attached to 

 the peltate connective; pistillate consisting of a single 

 terminal ovule with several bracts at the base: seed a 

 bony nut surrounded or almost inclosed by a fleshy cup- 

 shaped scarlet disk; cotyledons two. The wood is heavy, 

 hard, close-grained, strong, elastic and of reddish color. 

 It is highly valued for cabinet-making and turning, and 

 before the invention of gunpowder was in great request 



in England for the manufacture of bows. The foliage 

 is poisonous to horses and cattle but the berries are not. 

 baccata, Linn. Pig. 2470. Tree, attaining 60 ft., with 

 a usually short trunk, occasionally 8 ft. or more in 

 diameter: bark reddish, flaky, deeply fissured in old 

 trees: branches spreading, forming a broad, low head; 

 branchlets somewhat pendulous: Ivs. 2-ranked, linear 

 and usually falcate, shortly acuminate, with prominent 

 midrib, dark green above, pale beneath, %-\% in. long 

 or shorter in some vars. : fr. %-% in. across, with al- 

 most globose disk, about one -third longer than the 

 ovoid brown seed. Eu. andN. Afr. to Himalayas. G.C. 

 11.23:309. Gn. 27, p. 578; 35, p. 30, 37. G.F. 9:265. 

 Gng. 1:309. Many garden forms have originated in 

 cultivation; the following are the most important: Var. 

 adpressa, Carr. ( T. parrifolia, Wender. T. brevifolia, 

 Hort., not Nutt. T.fardlva, Laws. T. Slnlnsis tardlva, 

 Knight). Shrub or low tree of irregular habit, with 

 long spreading branches: Ivs. oblong, obtusish, mucron- 

 ulate, %-% in. long: disk of fr. shorter than the seed. 

 R.H. 1886, p. 104. Gn. 35, p. 37. Very distinct form. 

 Var. adpressa erecta, Nichols, (var. adpressa stric'n, 

 Beissn.), has the foliage of the preceding, but er ct 

 branches forming a columnar bush. Var. aurea, Carr. 

 (var. JtJlvastontnsis aw-ea, Beissn. ). Lvs. golden yel- 

 low, more brightly colored at the tips and margin. 

 This form has proved hardier than the type in New 

 England. Var. argentea, Loud. (var. elegantissimn. 

 Hort.). Lvs. striped straw-yellow or sometimes whit- 

 ish. Var. erecta, Loud. (var. xtricta, Hort.). Bushy 

 form, with slender, upright branches and branchlets: 

 Ivs. narrower and smaller than in the type. Var. eri- 

 coides, Carr. (var. micropJif/lla, Hort.). Dwarf form, 

 with slender branches and small and very narrow, 

 pointed Ivs. Var. fastigiata, Loud. (T. Hibtrnica, 

 Hort.). Strictly fastigiate form, with stout crowded 

 upright branches and branchlets: Ivs spirally arranger! 

 around the branches, dark glossy green. Gn. 35, p. 36; 

 40, p. 62. R.H. 1886:105. One of the most desirable 

 evergreens of columnar habit for formal gardens. Var. 

 fastigiata variegata, Carr. Less vigorous and more 

 tender: Ivs. marked yellowish white. Var. fastigiata 

 aurea, Standish. Young growth golden yellow. Var. 

 Fisheri, Hort. Some of the Ivs. deep yellow, others 

 green. Var. fnictu luteo. With yellow fr. Gn. 35, p. 37. 

 R.H. 1886, p. 104. Var. glauca, Carr. Vigorous form, 

 with longer and narrower Ivs. dark green above and 

 with a glaucous bluish tint beneath. Var. Jacksoni, 

 Gord. (var. ptndula, Hort.). Branches spreading, pen- 

 dulous at the tips, with more or less incurved Ivs. Var. 

 procumbens, Loud. Prostrate shrub, with elongated and 



2470. Old English Yews that have reached maturity 

 Taxus baceata. 



"Addison's Walk," at Glasnevin, Ireland. 



much ramified branches. Var. Washington!, Beissn. 

 Vigorous form, with longer Ivs., partly colored golden 

 yellow. 



cuspidata, Sieb. & Zucc. (T. baccata, var. cuspidata, 

 Carr. ). Tree, attaining 50 ft., with a trunk usually 2 ft. 



