253 TAXUS BACCATA 



Fruit (galbulus) consisting of a small seed (" nut "), closely sur- 

 rounded and covered except at the summit by the greatly enlarged 

 "aril" which has become a berry-like fleshy cup, the whole 

 supported on a small circular base formed of the cone-scales, from 

 which the ' ' berry " is readily separated ; cup somewhat exceeding 

 the nut, with a sharp edge above, skin thin but strong, coral-red, 

 filled with a thick, glutinous, nearly colourless juice ; " nut " loosely 

 attached to the axis by a broad base, about J inch long, roundish 

 ovoid, bluntly pointed and obtusely 3 or 4 angled above, dark ruddy 

 brown, smooth, minutely pitted under a lens, covered with a thin 

 papery pale brown skin and a very thin layer of brown semifluid 

 pulp, inner coat hard, bony, pale yellow ; embryo small straight, 

 with 2 short cotyledons and a superior radicle, lying in the axis 

 of the tough endosperm. 



Habitat. The yew is chiefly familiar as a planted tree, espe- 

 cially in churchyards, but it grows wild in many parts of England, 

 principally on chalk and limestone, where it sometimes forms 

 small woods or groves. On the chalk downs of the southern 

 counties are found trees of undoubtedly very great antiquity. It 

 is a native of the whole of Central and Southern Europe, and 

 extends to North Africa, Asia Minor, the Amur district to the 

 Himalaya, ascending in Sikkim to an elevation of 7000 10,000 

 feet. There are many garden varieties cultivated, of which the 

 best known are T. fastigiata, Lindl., with an upright pyramidal 

 habit of growth, and T. Jiilernica, Mack., with yellow ( ' berries." 

 Some botanists consider that there is but one kind of yew, and that 

 the American and Japanese species should all be referred to T. 

 laccata. 



What are above described as anthers are perhaps better 

 considered to be antheriferous bracts, and the anther-cells as 

 anthers. Some authors describe the stamens as monadelphous. 



Syme, E. Bot., viii, p. 276; Hook, f., Stud. FL, p. 348; Wafcson, 

 Comp. Cyb. Brit., p. 320; London, Arb. et Frut. Brit., iv, 

 p. 2066; Parlatore, 1. c., p. 500. 



Parts Used and Names. TAXUS, Yew ; the leaves and fruits, 



