DIOECIA-MONADELPHIA. Taxus. 253 



Barr.Jl. Cal. none. Cor. none. Filam. numerous, united 

 in their lower part, forming a column, longer than the 

 bud. Anth. depressed, in from 5 to 8 rounded segments, 

 bursting at the base all round ; subsequently becoming- 

 flat and peltate. 



Fert.Jl. Cal. minute, inferior, cup-shaped, entire; sub- 

 sequently enlarged, tumid and succulent, permanent. 

 Cor, none. Germ, superior, ovate, acute. Style none. 

 Stigma obtuse. Berry spurious, formed of the enlarged, 

 pulpy, coloured calyx, not united to the seed, except 

 perhaps at the base. Seed 1, ovate-oblong, projecting 

 beyond the enlarged calyx. 



Evergreen trees, chiefly extraeuropaean, with numerous, 

 mostly linear, entire leaves, slightly stalked, and axillary, 

 solitary, somewhat stalked, Jlowers. 



Linnaeus, and some eminentbotanists since his time, thought 

 the pulpy part of the frtiit was an enlarged receptacle 

 rather than a calyx. The nature of this part is indeed 

 peculiar, nor has it any afiinity, as Linnaeus supposed, 

 to the frtiit of Gaidtheria. 



\. T. baccata. Common Yew. 



Leaves two-ranked, crowded, linear, flat. Receptacle of 

 the barren flowers globular. 



T. baccata. Linn. Sp. PL 1472. mild v. 4. 85G. Fl. Br. 1086. 

 Engl. Bot. v.D.t. 746. Hook. Scot. 290. Light/. 626. Fl. Dan. 

 t. 1240. BuU.Fr.t. 136. Dicks. H. Sice. fasc. 16.6. Ehrh.Arh.bO. 



T. n. 1 663. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 322. 



Taxus. Raii Syn. 44.5. Ger. Em. 1370. f. Bauh. Hist. v. 1. p. 2. 

 24 1 ./. Mntth. Valgr. v. 2. 444./. Corner. Epit. 840./. 



In mountainous woods, and on the ledges of limestone clift's. 



Tree. March, April. 



Trunk straight, variously channelled longitudinally, with a smooth 

 deciduous bark ; and horizontal branches, spreading in opposite 

 directions. Leaves scattered, nearly sessile, two-ranked, linear, 

 entire, very slightly revolute, about an inch long ; dark-green, 

 smooth and shining above; paler, with a prominent mid-rib, 

 beneath, terminating in a small harmless point. Fl. axillary, 

 solitary, each from a scaly imbricated hud ; the barren ones 

 light-brown, white with abundant poZ/en ; fertile green, resem- 

 bling, with their scaly bracteas, a little acorn. Fruit drooping, 

 consisting of a sweet, internally glutinous, scarlet ierry, open 

 at the top, enclosing an oval brown seed, unconnected with the 

 fleshy part. 



