I 



CONIFEE^. 483 



II. JUNIPER. JUNIPERUS. 



Shrubs or small trees, with evergreen leaves, either small and scale-like, 

 or spreading, stiff, and pointed, or both kinds on the same shrub. Flowers 

 usually dioecious, in minute axillary catkins ; the males consisting of broad, 

 shield-shaped scales, with 3 to 6 antlier-ceUs attached to their lower edge ; 

 the females with imbricated, empty scales at the base, and 3 to 6 fleshy 

 ones at the top, coalescing into one, and enclosing as many ovules, witli 

 their foramen or open pore turned upwards. Fruit a small berry, formed 

 by the succulent scales, enclosing 1 or 2 hard seeds. 



A numerous genus, nearly as widely spread as the Pines over the north- 

 ern hemisphere. 



1. Coiutaon Juniper. Juniperus communis, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1100.) 



A much branched, evergreen shrub, sometimes procumbent, sometimes 

 ascending or erect, 2, 3, or even 4 feet high. Leaves in whorls of 3, linear, 

 spreading, ending in a prickly point, not above 6 lines long, of a bright 

 green underneath, glaucous and concave above. Catkins scarcely above 

 a line long. Berries globular, of a dark purple-blue, the size of a large 

 pea. 



On rather dry, barren hills, in Europe and Russian Asia, from the Medi- 

 terranean to the Arctic regions, and in northern America. Dispersed over 

 the British Isles, but more common in the north than in the south. Fl. 

 spring. A dwarf mountain variety, not uncommon in Scotland, with a 

 closely procumbent stem, and rather shorter, less prickly leaves, has been 

 distinguished as a species, under the name of J. nana (Eng. Bot. SuppL 

 t. 2743). 



The cultivated species include the American red or pencil Cedar {J. vir- 

 giniana), the south European Savin (J. sahina), and several other North 

 American and Asiatic species. 



III. YEW. TAXUS. 



Trees or shrubs, with evergreen linear leaves. Flowers mostly dioecious. 

 Catkins small, with empty, imbricated scales at the base ; the males termi- 

 nating in a cluster of stamens, each consisting of 3 to 8 anther-cells, undtr 

 a shield-hke scale or conneotivum ; the females of a single erect ovule, with a 

 small cup-shaped disk round its base. Fruit a hard seed, partly imbedded 

 in a pulpy, berry-like cup. 



A small genus, extending aU round the northern hemisphere. 



1. Common "Yew. Taxus baccata, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 746.) 



A densely branched, dark, evergreen tree, not lofty, but attaining a great 

 age, with a thick trunk and hard wood. Leaves 6 to 9 lines long, inserted 

 all round the branches, but spreading in one plane in two opposite ranks, 

 convex and shining on the upper side. Catkins very smaU, in the axils of 

 the leaves. Fruits, though small, conspicuous by their bright red, half- 

 transparent, juicy cups. 



Dispersed over central Eurtipe, and the mountains of southern Europe, 

 extending eastward into the mountains of central Asia, and northward to 



