THE COMMON YEW 



There are several forms of Golden Yew and one 

 is known to have been growing in Staffordshire in 

 1686. The best known (var. aurea) is a male, a dense 

 shrub or low tree with narrow sickle-shaped leaves 

 which are variegated with yellow. Another good 

 sort is var. washingtonii, a low dense shrub in which 

 the leaves on the young shoots are golden yellow. 

 Of low-growing forms there are several including 

 vars. horiiontalis, recurvata, and procumbens, suffi- 

 ciently distinguished by their names. But another 

 dwarf form which is grown in the Arnold Arboretum 

 under the name of Taxus baccata repandens is worthy 

 of fuller mention. Its origin is unknown and it is 

 remarkable as being the only form of the English 

 Yew which is properly hardy although it, too, suf- 

 fered slightly during the winter of 19 17- 18; it has 

 wide-spreading, semi-prostrate branches and broad, 

 black-green leaves. 



There are many other forms of the European Yew 

 differing more or less from one another. These 

 include the Glaucous Yew (var. glauca), the Yellow- 

 fruited Yew (var. fructu-luteo), and several small- 

 leaved Yews of which var. adpressa is very distinct. 

 This variety is a large, spreading bush with densely 

 crowded branchlets having remarkably small, broad 

 leaves not more than one quarter to one half inch 

 long. It is a female, and originated as a chance 



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