TAXACEyE— YEW FAMILY 



AMERICAN YEW. GROUND HEMLOCK 



Idxus canadensis. 



Taxus, said to be derived from iaxon, the Greek word 

 for bow ; on account of the use made of the wood of the 

 European species. 



Low, straggling, evergreen bush, one to four feet high, with 

 wide-spreading branches, common in northern woods, often 

 covering large areas of low, moist, shaded land. Ranges from 

 Newfoundland to Lake Winnipeg and southward to Virginia and 

 Iowa. 



Leaves. — Evergreen, alternate, linear, sharp-pointed; dis-^ 

 posed in asubspiral and appearing two-ranked by the twisting of 

 the short compressed petioles. Dark green above, somewhat 

 paler beneath. 



Flowers. — Ditccious or monrocious, solitary, axillary. Stami- 

 nate-flowers have four to eight stamens collected into a globular 

 head. Pistillate flower consists of an erect ovule on a ring-like 

 disk, which enlarges as the fruit matures and becomes a bright 

 red fleshy cup, and nearly encloses the ripe seed. 



Fruit. — Nut-like seed ; nearly enclosed in a red, pulpy, berry- 

 like cup. 



In various parts of the western counties of Massachusetts occurs a hum- 

 ble, almost prostrate evergreen, conspicuous for the rich and deep green of 



its foliage. It is the American Yew. 



— C1p:<)Rc.k H. Emkrson. 



The Yew at first sight looks like a sccdlino; hemlock 

 that perhaps has not fared quite well, and is inclined to 



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