THE AMERICAN YEWS. 305 



Taxus brevifolia.— The Californian Yew differs considerably in 

 aspect from the common "Yew; its growth is more open, and its 

 foliage lighter and more feathery. Its height varies according to 

 soil and situation, from 25 to 50 feet, and even more, being 

 greatest along the courses of the rivers, and less in the more 

 exposed places on the mountain sides. The leaves are shorter and 

 narrower than those of the common kind, being not more than 

 from half to three quarters of an inch long with a short twisted 

 footstalk, abrupt or mucronate at the apex, and yellowish-green in 

 colour. The habit of the young plants growing in England is 

 very distinct ; the branches increase in length as fast as the leader 

 increases in height, giving the plant the outline of a cone with 

 a base broader than the height. 



Habitat. — North-west America, from the Mexican boundary to 

 British Columbia, chiefly on the mountain ranges and on the 

 banks of rivers. It attains its greatest developement in the valley 

 of the Willamette. 



Introduced by us in 1854, through our collector, William Lobb, 



The specific name brevifolia, refers to the leaves. This 'Yew should 

 not be confounded with Toxics adpressa, which has for one of its 

 synonyms T. brevifolia (Hort.). 



Taxus canadensis. — The Canadian Tew is a much smaller tree 

 than the European species, rarely forming an erect trunk like the 

 common Tew, or exceeding 15 feet in height. "As it grows 

 about the great Lakes it is a low trailing shrub, forming a thick 

 and tangled undergrowth, covering the surface of the Fine and 

 Hemlock forests, seldom growing more than 3 or 4 feet from the 

 ground." *_ The leaves are shorter, narrower, and paler in colour, 

 and the berries smaller than those of the European Tew. 



Habitat. — Canada and the north-eastern States, extending south- 

 wards only along the AHeghanies.- It prefers moist banks and * hills 

 near streams, especially in the shade of evergreen trees.t 



Introduced about the year 1800. 



The Canadian Yew is commonly known as the ground Hemlock in 

 America. 



* Dr. Newberry, Pacific Railway Report, p. 60. 

 + Dr. A. Gray, Flora of Northern States, p. 474. 



