17 



TAXODIUM 



of which the following are the most important: 

 fastigiitum, Knight. With slender, uiiriglit, v 

 branches sparingly ramified. Var. microphyllum, 

 Shrub, with short spreading linun-ht-s; tht- I 

 branchlets with typical foliage. iIjum- of the I 



. 2470. Tree, attaining GO ft., with 

 ik, occasionally 8 ft. or more in 

 ish. rtaky, deeply lissnred in old 



pendulum novum, P. Smith 

 A graceful form with slen 

 der, pendulous branchlets 

 Var. pyramiditum, Carr 

 Narrow pyramidal form 

 shitrt asi'i-nding branches 



ith 



(T. 



ovoid brown seed. -Eu. andN. Afr. t 

 11.23:309. Gn. 27, p. 578; :i."), p. : 

 Gng. 1:309. — Many garden forms 

 cultivation; the following are the ni- 

 adprSsaa, Carr. (T. ptirvifdlia, \Veii< 

 Hort., notNutt. T./dj-rfica, Laws. ' 

 Knight). Shrub or low tree of ii 

 long spreading branches: Ivs.ol)loiii 

 ulate, %-% in. long: disk of fr. sin 

 R.H. 1886, p. 104. Gn. 35, p. 37. ' 

 Var. adprfissa erficta, Nichols, (vai 

 Beissn.l, has the foliage of the p 



2469 BalJ Cypress — Taxo- plant; cones ovoid. ?4 in. long, 



dium di5t,rh„m China. Tender and rarely cult, 



dium distichum qjj^,^ confounded with vars. of 



(N itui d ize of h s is ' -^4 T. distichum. 



mch long ) ALFRED Rehder. 



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

 \e\\ Uni mil lit il t\ergreen trees or shrubs, with 2- 

 rink 1 liii II 1 \ insignificant flowers and showy 

 beri\ hi i 1 tiiiit The best known species is T. 

 Ixiiiiiti whi li 1 [iiiily as far north as Rhode Island 

 ■ind noilhwcsteni New York, while T. cuspidata and 

 r Can I h nsis are considerably hardier and thrive as 

 tar north is Canada the other species are little known 

 in cultn ition The Yews are very desirable evergreens 

 for puk planting they are densely clothed with dark 

 green toliage 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. 2:2C4, 

 205). 



That the typical tree-like form o£ the Yew is nowadays 

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

 the numerous mostly shrubby ■^::r''. n r..iiii^ nn |ii.puhir 

 plants for small gardens. Tin- ^ I'lii Inst in a 



moderately moist sandy loam :•■■• '■.:<■[,- well. 



Large plants may be successiuli i . . . 1 if it is 



possible to secure a sufficient I. all ..l ..aiii uitli the 

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

 the second year, and by cuttings taken early in autumn 

 and kept during the winter in a cool greenhouse or 



M.D.G. l.s:i,S:.0().-,). 



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 

 dicecious, 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 



England. Var. argentea, Loud. (var. ehu'iiillxsima. 

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

 ish. Var. ergcta, Loud. (var. strMii, Hort.). Bushy 

 form, with slender, upright branches and branchlets : 

 lvs. narrower and smaller than in the tvpe. Var. eri- 

 coldes, Carr. (var. i„i,-r„pJn;il,i. Hi.rt.i. Dwarf form, 

 with slender bran. -Ins ami small ami v, iv narrow, 

 pointed lvs. Var. fastigiata, Luml. i 7'. ililirniica, 

 Hort.). Strictly fastigiatc form, with st.mt ■■rowded 

 upright branches and branchlets: lvs, spirally arranged 

 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 variegita, Carr. Less vigorous and more 

 f.-iiilir: lvs. mark, ,1 yellowish white. Var. Sastigi4ta 

 aiirea, Stamlisli. Yuiing growth golden yellow. Var. 

 Fisheri. llnrt. Soini- of the lvs. deep yellow, others 

 griiii Vir Sriictu liiteo With yellow fr Gn 35, p. 37. 

 K II ISM ] 1(14 \ ir glatica, Carr Vigorous toim 

 Mith I 1 1 mil nairower l\s diik gieen abo\ e and 

 with I ^1 111 us bluish tint beneath Var J4cksoni, 

 I. 1 1 (\ 11 / »?»/,(, Hort ) Branches spreading, pen 

 dulous at the tips, with more or less incurved lvs Var 

 procumbens, Loud Prostrate shrub, with elongated and 



^'^ 



2470 Old English Ye 



— Taxus baccata 

 "Addison s Walk at Glasne 



ched maturity 



much ramified branches. Var. WAshingtoni, Beissn. 

 Vigorous form, with longer lvs., partly colored golden 

 yellow. 



cuspidftta, Sieb. & Zucc. (T. baccdta, var. cuspid&ta, 

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



