24 
TAXACEjE. 
-THE YEW TRUSS.. 
was still rare in England, and which the gar- 
dener pretended that he then alone possessed. 
These five plants were raised from nuts that 
he had received from Japan ; and he set a 
high price on them. However, after an 
abundant dejeune, and plenty of wine, he 
sold to M. Petigny these young trees of 
Ginkgo, all growing in the same pot, for 
twenty-five guineas, which the Parisian ama- 
teur paid immediately, and lost no time in 
taking away his valuable acquisition. Next 
morning, the effects of the wine being dissi- 
pated, the English gardener sought out his 
customer, and offered him twenty-five guineas 
for one plant of the five he had sold the day 
before. This, however, was refused by M. 
Petigny, who carried the plants to France, 
and from those five have been propagated the 
most of the Salisburias in that country." 
It is somewhat singular that notwithstand- 
ing its striking appearance, its unique leaves, 
and handsome habit, the Salisburia is very 
seldom seen throughout England. 
A plant of it grew against the stove 
in the grounds belonging to the late Mr. 
William Malcolm of Kensington, but in all 
probability it has been removed to make way 
for the improvements effected there by his 
successor, Mr. Forrest. In the country it is 
still more rare ; and though introduced so long 
ago as 1754, passes currently as a novelty. 
There are several half-hardy trees belong- 
ing to the order Taxaceas, which warrant 
their being enumerated here, more especially 
as it is expected that some of them may yet 
become valuable both as timber and orna- 
mental trees in the climate of Britain. Such as 
have been known to give such promise by 
standing in the open air in this country with 
a slight protection only, are here detailed. 
PoDOCAKPtrs, L' He ri tier. — A genus very 
closely allied to Taxus and not long detached 
from it, comprising lofty trees, natives of 
China, Japan, South America, New Holland, 
the Cape of Good Hope, and the East Indies. 
P. macrophyUus, Sweet (broad-leaved 
Japan Yew). Introduced into the Kew Gar- 
dens in 1804. Leaves scattered over the 
branches, not comb-like as in the common 
Yew, and pointless. A lofty and at the same 
time a spreading tree, growing in Japan, pro- 
ducing wood which resists the attacks of the 
worm, and is consequently prized for cabinet- 
work. A plant against a wall in the garden 
of the Horticultural Society, Chiswick, is from 
five feet to six feet high. 
P. spinulosus, Sprengel (spinous-pointed 
Yew). — Leaves opposite, whorled, and lance- 
olate. A native of Port Jackson and adjoin- 
ing districts, growing in England against a 
wall, at the rate of three inches in a season. 
P. nucifer, Persoon (nut-bearing Japan 
Yew). — A species bearing a striking resem- 
blance to the deciduous cypress, having the 
leaves in two ranks, pointed and lanceolate. 
A lofty tree, growing in the northern pro- 
vinces of Japan, Nepal, and Kaniaon ; but 
not yet rising freely in Britain. There are 
specimens at the Hackney nursery, Golds- 
worth, and White Knights, growing at the 
rate of four feet in six years. The wood is 
not equal to that of P. macrophyUus, but the 
plant itself is reckoned hardier. 
Dackydium, Solander. — The sexes of this 
are dioecious, so called when they grow apart 
on different trees. The male solitary, oblong, 
and the female solitary, borne on the tip of a 
shoot so as to terminate it. Fruit egg-shaped. 
D. cwpressinum, Solander (Dimon Pine). 
— An evergreen graceful tree, with drooping 
branches, covered with fine spray and leaves, 
like an arbor vitas, or some varieties of the 
club moss. Discovered by Dr. Solander, in 
New Zealand, during Captain Cook's first 
voyage, and introduced into England in 1825. 
Captain Cook described it, under the name of 
the spruce tree, as measuring at the base from 
six feet to ten feet, in girth, and from eighty 
feet to one hundred feet in height, quite large 
enough to make a main-mast for a fifty-four 
gun ship. Bennett adds that " the timber 
is considered harder than that of any of the 
New Zealand coniferaB, and is much valued 
either for planks or spars." There are plants 
of it in Knight's Exotic Nursery, and at 
Messrs. Loddiges', where it is propagated 
along with heaths by cuttings. 
_D. excelsum, Don (tall Dacrydium). — 
The loftiest timber tree of New Zealand, at- 
taining a height of from 120 feet to 130 feet, 
with a trunk of about fifteen feet in diameter. 
The wood, which is soft, is used by the natives 
in the construction of canoes. 
D. datum, Wallich (lofty Dacrydium). 
— Introduced in 18?0. Represented to be a 
lofty evergreen tree, a native of Pulo-Penang. 
The finest specimen in England is in Knight's 
Exotic Nursery, Chelsea. 
Phyllocladus, Richard. — A genus called 
monoecious, having the one sex in one flower, 
and the other sex in a different flower. The 
fruit bears a close resemblance to those of 
Taxus, and the leaves have an obvious al- 
liance to those of the Salisburia. 
P. trichomanoides, Don (Trichomanes- 
like Phyllocladus).- — Represented to be a large 
tree of graceful regular growth, like a silver 
fir, seventy feet high and fifteen feet in cir- 
cumference, furnishing very valuable timber 
for ship-building, but rather too hard to be 
generally applied in house carpentry. This 
plant is at present exceedingly rare in Eng- 
land. Its leaves are of an irregular wedge- 
shaped figure. 
