184 THE CULTIVATED EVERGREENS 



flowers ovoid or oblong, composed of 6-8 whorls of stamens, surrounded at 

 the base by bud-scales; fertile flowers consisting of a solitary ovule surrounded 

 at the base by a fleshy aril and several scales: fruit drupe-like, consisting of a 

 rather large seed, with thick woody shell entirely covered by a thin fleshy 

 aril, ripening the second season; albumen ruminate; cotyledons 2, remaining 

 under ground in germination. (The genus is named in honor of Dr. John 

 Torrey, one of the most distinguished of early American botanists; 1796- 

 1873.) — Four closely related species in North America and in eastern Asia; 

 occasionally grown as ornamental evergreens for their handsome foliage and 

 interesting habit. 



A. Color of two-year-old branches yellowish-green or yellowish-brown. 

 B. Leaves with scarcely impressed bands beneath, of fetid odor 



when bruised 1. T. taxifolia 



BB. Leaves with strongly impressed bands beneath, scarcely fetid . . 2. T. grandis 

 AA. Color of two-year-old branches reddish-brown: leaves of aro- 

 matic-pungent odor when bruised. 



B. Leaves 1^-2 1/2 inches long, linear 3. T. californica 



BB. Leaves ^-IM inches long, lanceolate, 4. T. nucifera 



1. T. taxifolia, Am. (Tumion taxifolium, Greene). Florida T. (Stinking 

 Cedar). Tree attaining 40 feet, with spreading slightly pendulous branches, 

 forming a rather open pyramidal head; bark brown, tinged orange: leaves 

 linear, acuminate, rounded at base and subsessile, dark or dark yellowish- 

 green above, with shallow white bands beneath, M~lK inches long: fruit 

 obovoid, dark purple, 1-13<^ inches long. Florida. — Discovered in 1833 and 

 introduced into cultivation about 1840. Hardy at least as far north as 

 South Carolina. 



2. T. grandis, Fort. {T. Fargesii, Franch. Tumion grande, Greene). Tree 

 occasionally to 80 feet high, sometimes shrubby: leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 with a slender spiny point, M-lM inches long and J^ inch broad, bright 

 green and lustrous above, with 2 white impressed bands beneath: fruit ovoid 

 or globose, mucronate, ^<^-l inch long, brownish. Eastern and central China. 

 — Introduced by Robert Fortune in 1855 to England. Hardy as far north as 

 Massachusetts in sheltered positions. 



3. T. californica, Torr. ( T. Myristica, Hook, f . Tumion californicum, 

 Greene). California-Nutmeg. Tree attaining 70 or occasionally 100 feet, 

 with spreading, slightly pendulous branches, forming a pyramidal or, in old 

 age, round-topped head; bark grayish-brown, tinged with orange: leaves 

 linear, slightly falcate, acuminate, lustrous and dark green above, with 

 narrow impressed bands beneath, 1-23/^ inches long: fruit oblong-oval or 

 oval, light green, streaked with purple, 1-1 H inches long. California. — 

 Introduced to Europe in 1851. Hardy as far north as Philadelphia; a hand- 

 some tree with slender spreading branches, but usually shrubby in the East. 



