1294 TAXUS. [CLASS XXII. ORDER VIII. 
smooth, channeled and glaucous above, keeled and dark green be- 
neath, the edges smooth or roughish. Flowers yellow, axillary, 
small, the barren ones with stamens, furnishing a large quantity of 
pollen, fertile flowers on short scaly stalks, greenish. Fruit a nearly 
globular berry, black, with a tinge of a glaucous bloom, rather sweet, 
with a bitter turpentine flavour. 
Habitat.—Woods ard heaths. #. common in the mountains of 
Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. 
Shrub; flowering in May. ; 
The Juniper is a common plant in most parts of Europe, growing 
upon almost every different kind of soil, and in elevated situations or 
on plains, consequently it is very variable in its size. . Most fre- 
quently it is only a low procumbent bushy plant, but grown in situa- 
tions favourable to its developement, it forms a bush several feet high, 
Its wood is very hard and durable, its bark tough and fibrous, and 
may be formed into ropes for common purposes; a whitish kind of 
gum exudes from it, which is known in the shops by the name of 
Sandarach, which, when finely powdered, is sold under the name of 
pounce. The berries are used for the purpose of flavouring ardent 
spirits, with which, when they are distilled, they impart their peculiar 
aromatic odour, depending upon the presence of a volatile oil. It is 
this which gives the flavour and diuretic properties to Hollands, and 
it is also supposed to be used for the same purpose in English gin, 
but it is believed that in England they often use oil of turpentine. 
The oil collected by distillation possesses diuretic properties, and has 
been used in medicine, but it is only now used as an adjunct to other 
matters, such as squills, and digitalis, and is nottrusted alone. When 
the berries are boiled with water, they give out a quantity of sugar, 
which, according to Linnzus, when fermented, forms a common drink 
in Sweden. 
Allied to the Juniper are the Thuja, the arbor vite, or tree of 
sacrifice, so called from its wood being used in sacrifices, because it 
gave out a pleasant odour during combustion; and the Cupressus, or 
cypress tree, well known froin its tall stately growth and sombre 
aspect, and the durability of its wood. The chests containing the 
Egyptian mummies, and the gates of St. Peter's Church at Rome 
were made of cypress wood. ‘The latter lasted from the time of Con- 
stantine to that of Pope Eugene IV., a period of about eleven hun- 
dred years, and were not then decayed. : 
GENUS XIV. TAX'US.—Linxn. Yew. 
Nat, Ord. CoNIFE'REx, Juss. 
Gen. Cuar. Catkins scaly at the base. Purren flowers, with from 
eight to ten s/amens, the filaments united. Anthers peltat», six 
