GYCAB FAMILY. 485 



15. TAXTJS, YEW. (Classical name, from the Greek for a bow : the 

 tough wood was chosen for bows.) Flowers early spring. 



T. baccata, Linn. European Yew. Low tree, with thick, upright 

 trunk, spreading, short branches, and pointed, dark-green leaves about 1' 

 long ; when planted in this country forms only a shrub. Var. fastigiata, 

 Irish Yew. A singular form, making a narrow column, the branches 

 appressed ; the leaves shorter, broader, and scarcely in two ranks. 



T. tardlva, Laws. (T. adpressa). Low tree or shrub, with no dis- 

 tinct leader, and therefore making a flat top ; leaves short, ovate-oblong, 

 and very dark-green, 2-rowed ; berries pale-pink. Said to have come from 

 Japan, but probably only a form of T. baccata. 



T. cuspidata, Sieb. & Zucc. Small tree or hardy bush, with the habit of 

 T. baccata, but looser ; leaves broader and abruptly pointed, leathery in 

 texture and lighter-colored, 2-ranked on the branchlets, but scattered on 

 the older growth. Japan. 



T. Canadensis, Willd. American Y., Ground Hemlock. A strag- 

 gling bush on shady banks and hills, N. J., to Minn, and N. ; widely spread- 

 ing on the ground ; leaves green and linear, short ; berries light-red. 



16. TORREYA. (Dr. John Torrey, a distinguished American botan- 

 ist.) Flowers in spring. 



T. taxifdlia, Am. Woods in Ela. ; a handsome tree, but with the 

 wood and foliage ill-scented ; leaves like those of Yew, but longer and 

 tapering to a sharp point ; hardy as a shrub as far north as N. Y. 



17. GINKGO, GINKGO TREE. (Japanese name.) 



G. biloba, Linn. (Salisburia adiantif6lia). Maidenhair Tree. 

 A most singular tree, planted from China and Japan, hardy N. ; branches 

 spreading ; the fan-shaped, maidenhair-like, alternate leaves with their 

 slender stalks 3' or 4' long ; fruit a drupe an inch or more long, with a 

 stone like that of the plum, the meat edible. Dioecious or monoecious. 



18. PODO CARPUS. (Greek: stalked fruit.) 



P. Chinensis, Wall. A very erect shrub, like the Irish Yew not fully 

 hardy N. ; leaves linear-lanceolate, 2'-3' long; fruit ovoid. China. 



P. Nagela, R. Br. Handsome, erect tree with slender and sometimes 

 pendulous branches ; leaves broadly ovate, attenuated at the point and 

 slightly glaucous ; fruit globose, dark-purple. Japan. 



CXXXVI. CYCADACE.E, CYCAD FAMILY. 



1 Trees or shrubs -with palm-like trunks which increase by a 

 terminal bud ; the leaves pinnate and coiled in the bud, like 

 ferns. Flowers dioecious, the fertile consisting of 2 ovules 

 under scales, and arranged in cones or on the margins of con- 

 tracted leaves. Only two species need be mentioned here : 



Cfcas revolOta, Thunb. (Lessons, Fig. 47.) Japan ; a palm-like, low 

 tree of conservatories, wrongly called Sago Palm ; leaves 2°-6° long, 

 curving outwards, the pinnae stiff, dark-green ; stem commonly simple. 



Zamia integrifdlia, Willd. Coontie of S. Fla., whose root-like trunk, 

 which does not rise above ground, furnishes a kind of flour called Florida 

 Arrow Root ; leaves petioled and spreading, with numerous lasceolate 

 or linear-lanceolate pinnae. 



