386 TAXUS, OR. 



Cones ovate, or somewhat globular, woody, and light brown. 

 Scales mucronate, and peltate, with two seeds at their 

 base. 



A very elegant small tree, growing from twelve to twenty 

 feet high ; found in the northern parts of China, and probably 

 in Japan, growing in swampy places. 



It is quite hardy. 



Gen. TAXUS. Tournefort. The Yew. 



Flowers dioecious, or male and female on different plants, 

 and axillary. 



Fruit solitary, and one-seeded. 



Disk a fleshy open cup, and viscid. • 



Seeds riut-like, with a bony shell, free, and exposed on the 

 upper part. 



Leaves linear, decurrent, and alternate. 



Seed-leaves in twos, and short. 



Name derived either from " taxis," arrangement, from the 

 leaves being placed on the branchlets like the teeth of a comb, 

 or from " toxicum," poison, the common Yew being considered 

 poisonous, or from " toxon," a bow, the wood being much used 

 for that purpose. 



The word Taxus, however, like the Greek word " Toxen," 

 a bow, is derived from " Tazo," or " tasso," to draw, to pull; 

 man having learned the arts of war and hunting before his 

 language was perfected. The English name Yew is said to 

 come from the Celtic " iw," green. 



All evergreen trees, or bushes, found m the temperate parts 

 of Europe, Asia, and America. 



