22 THE YEW FAMILY. 



bricated scales. Drupe: a1)out an inch and a quarter long; obovate; purple, witli 

 edible, oily seed. 



An old settler of confirmed habits is this rare tree which seems to cling, as 

 a last refuge, to the dry, calcareous soil of western Florida in the region of 

 the Chattahoochie river. Here amid a llora of extreme interest it may be 

 looked upon as the type of its genus ; for only widely apart in the forests of 

 western California and in China and Japan can it claim any connections. 

 About its foliage and branches there is an aromatic, foetid odour which first 

 caused the natives to christen it by the name of stinking cedar ; but since 

 they have learned to associate it with John Torrey, and known that many 

 eminent men have travelled to so distant a region to see it, their respect for 

 it has increased and they now more frequently speak of it as the Torrey-tree. 

 Its beautiful wood is hard and strong, much desired in cabinet work and 

 furnishes for fence posts an indestructible material. 



YEW. 



Tdxtis Fhrtdana. 



FAMILY SHAPE HEIGHT RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Yew. Spreading, bushy. xo-2^ feet. Western Florida. March, April. Fruit: Oct. 



Bark: purplish brown, smooth. Leaves : one half to three quarters of an inch 

 long* growing along the l^ranches and spreading as though two-ranked; narrowly- 

 linear, short petioled, pointed at the apex and narrowed or rounded at the base; 

 flat" dark green, the upper side lustrous and having as the lower side a raised 

 ridge running through the middle; thin, persistent in drying, not resinous. Stam- 

 inate flo-ivers : growing in globose clusters. Pistillate ones: soWtdivy. Fruit: red, 

 drupe like and enclosing one seed. 



Growing with Tiimion Taxifoliitm in its restricted district is also found 

 this rare tree which elsewhere is not known. In connection with its fruit a 

 curious incident may be of interest. Not until 1895 ^'^'^ '^^ collected in 

 a ripe state, and then it was only done through the persistence of Dr. 

 Charles Mohr. Even the natives had never noticed that the tree bore fruit, 

 although this is not altogether unusual, for over and over again they will be 

 found to be indifferent to the phenomena about them. At first Dr. Mohr 

 examined the staminate trees, and then turning to one that was pistillate 

 was well nigh discouraged to find upon a superficial glance that it appeared 

 to be equally barren. When he finally, however, lifted up the branchlets, 

 the secret was revealed, for on their under sides, completely hidden from 

 the public gaze the fruit grew in relative abundance. 



