86 
WESTERN YEW. 
TAXUS brevifolia, foliis linearibus brevibus planiusculis abrupte 
mucronulatis distichis , receptaculis masculis subglobosis , antheris mino - 
ribus. Taxus baccata, Hooker , in part Flor. Bor. Amer. 2, p. 167. 
This species of Yew, so much like that of Europe, occu- 
pies a distinguished place in the dense maritime forests of the 
Oregon, and probably extends to the north as far as Nootka, 
being hardy like its European prototype, but inclined to 
grow taller, and more slender. Its usual height is from 40 
to 60 feet, and we observed no trees of more than about 
2 to 3 feet in diameter. The wood has the same close, 
and almost invisible grain, as that of Europe, of a beautiful 
white colour, slightly inclining to yellow in the branches ; 
with the character of the older wood I am unacquainted, 
but believe it to be extremely similar to that of the Common 
Yew, ( Taxus baccata ), for which our plant might easily be 
mistaken. The leaves are, however, shorter and thinner, 
sharply and abruptly terminated with a bristly point, and 
below attenuated into a short but more distinct petiole. 
From the European plant it also differs in its leaves 
acquiring when dead and dried, a strong and bright ferru- 
ginous tint. The male flowers are much smaller and more 
similar to those of the Canadian Yew, (T. Canadensis ), 
with the scales of the perianth imbricated in 3 pairs instead 
of 5. The stamens are 9 to 11, with the anthers only 
about half the magnitude of these of the Common Yew. 
The nut, as usual, is seated in the bottom of a translucent 
red succulent cup. The leaves are from 5 to 7-tenths of 
an inch long. 
