253 



N. Ord. CONIFERS. Le Maout & Dec., p. 739. 

 Tribe Taxine*. Lindl., Yeg. K., p. 230 (N. Ord.). 

 Genus Taxus,* Linn. Parlatore, in DC. Prod., xvi, 2, p. 499. 

 Species 6, natives of temperate parts of the northern 

 hemisphere. 



253. Taxus baccata, Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. I, p. 1040 (1753). 



Yew. 



Icon. Nees, t. 88; Richard, Cornm. de Conif., t. 2; Schnitzlein, 

 Iconog., t. 78; Syme, E. Bot., viii, t. 1384; Reichenb., Ic. PL Germ., 

 xi, t. 538; Nees, Gen. Fl. Germ. 



Description. An evergreen tree, usually 20 30 feet high, but 

 sometimes much taller, with a very large and thick trunk and 

 widely- spreading horizontal branches, bark dark-brown, furrowed, 

 shredding off in fibres, young twigs green. Leaves very nume- 

 rous and closely placed, alternate, with a very short petiole which 

 is continued as a raised band down the stem, articulated, \ 1 

 inch long, somewhat curved, linear-strap-shaped, sharp-pointed 

 but not prickly, entire, rather thick, dark shining green above, 

 pale beneath, midrib prominent, all pointing somewhat upwards 

 right and left by a twist in the petioles ; buds very small, axillary, 

 clothed with little scales. Flowers dioecious ; the male in catkins, 

 the female in cones ; all axillary. Male catkins ovoid, scarcely J 

 inch wide, consisting of a rather thick axis with several closely 

 placed, thin, imbricated, yellowish gradually diminishing scales 

 on its lower half, and on its upper half about 10 20 closely placed 

 nearly sessile sulphur-yellow anthers, forming a subglobular 

 head ; anther- connective peltate, lobed, with 4 7 cells attached to 

 its under surface, and dehiscing longitudinally, pollen globose. 

 Female cones reduced to very small bud-like bodies consisting of 

 several rows of small, imbricated scales surrounding a single, 

 terminal, erect, urceolate ovule, with a small annular " aril " 

 at its base, coat of the ovule prolonged above into a nipple- 

 shaped tube which projects beyond the topmost bracts of the cone. 

 * Taxus, the classical name. 



