| Taxus baccata, Linn. Fig. 3780. Tree, attaining 60 ft., with a usually short trunk, occasionally 8 ft. or more in diam.: bark reddish, flaky, deeply fissured in old trees: branches spreading, forming a broad, low head; branchlets somewhat pendulous: lvs. 2-ranked, linear and usually falcate, shortly acuminate, with prominent midrib, dark green above, pale beneath, 3/4 – 1 1/4 in. long or shorter in some varieties: fr. 1/3 – 1/2 in. across, with almost globose disk, about a third longer than the broadly ellipsoid brown seed 1/4 in. long. Eu. and N. Afr. to Himalayas. G.C. II. 23:309; III. 29:262. Gn. 27, p. 578; 35, pp. 36, 37. G.F. 9:265. F.S.R. 3, p. 59. G.W. 10, p. 249; 11, p. 304; 13, pp. 67, 175. Gng. 1:309.—Many garden forms have originated in cult.; the following are the most important: Var. adpressa, Carr. (T. parvifolia, Wender. T. brevifolia, Hort., not Nutt. T. tardiva, Laws. T. baccata tardiva, Pilger). Shrub or low tree of irregular habit, with long spreading branches: lvs. oblong, obtusish, mucronulate, 1/3 – 1/2 in. long: disk of fr. shorter than the seed. R.H. 1886, p. 104. Gn. 35, p. 37. Very distinct form. Var. adpressa erecta, Nichols. (var. adpressa stricta, Beissn.), has the foliage of the preceding, but erect branches forming a columnar bush. Var. aurea, Carr. (var. elvastonensis aurea, Beissn.). Lvs. golden yellow, more brightly colored at the tips and margin. This form has proved hardier than the type in New England. F.E. 20:703. Var. argentea, Loud. (var. elegantissima, Hort.). Lvs. striped straw-yellow or sometimes whitish. Var. Dovastonii, Loud. Branches wide-spreading, nodding at the tips: lvs. dull green, short and abruptly mucronulate. G. 3:89. A very handsome form. Var. Dovastonii aureo-variegata, Beissn., is a form with the lvs. variegated with yellow. Var. erecta, Loud. (var. stricta, Hort.). Bushy form, with slender, upright branches and branchlets: lvs. narrower and smaller than in the type. Var. ericoides, Carr. (var. microphylla, Hort.). Dwarf form, with slender branches and small and very narrow, pointed leaves. Var. fastigiata, Loud. (T. hibernica, Hort.). Strictly fastigiate form, with stout crowded upright branches and branchlets: lvs. spirally arranged around the branches, dark glossy green. Gn. 35, p. 36; 40, p. 62. R.H. 1886:105. G. 2:85. F.E. 18:397; 33:315. G.W. 1, p. 349; 8, p. 301; 10, p. 393. One of the most desirable evergreens of columnar habit for formal gardens. Var. fastigiata variegata, Carr. Less vigorous and more tender: lvs. marked yellowish white. Var. fastigiata aurea, Standish. Young growth golden yellow. Var. Fisheri, Hort. Some of the lvs. deep yellow, others green. Var. glauca, Carr. Vigorous form, with longer and narrower lvs. dark green above and with a glaucous bluish tint beneath. Var. Jacksonii, Gord. (var. pendula, Hort.). Branches spreading, pendulous at the tips, with more or less incurved lvs. Var. luteo-baccata, Pilger (var. fructu luteo, Loud.). With yellow fr. Gn. 35, p. 37. R.H. 1886, p. 104. Var. procumbens, Loud. Prostrate shrub, with elongated and much ramified branches. Var. repandens, Hort. A low form with long wide-spreading branches and dull bluish green lvs. Var. Washingtonii, Beissn. Vigorous form, with longer lvs., partly colored golden yellow. | | Taxus baccata, Linn. Fig. 3780. Tree, attaining 60 ft., with a usually short trunk, occasionally 8 ft. or more in diam.: bark reddish, flaky, deeply fissured in old trees: branches spreading, forming a broad, low head; branchlets somewhat pendulous: lvs. 2-ranked, linear and usually falcate, shortly acuminate, with prominent midrib, dark green above, pale beneath, 3/4 – 1 1/4 in. long or shorter in some varieties: fr. 1/3 – 1/2 in. across, with almost globose disk, about a third longer than the broadly ellipsoid brown seed 1/4 in. long. Eu. and N. Afr. to Himalayas. G.C. II. 23:309; III. 29:262. Gn. 27, p. 578; 35, pp. 36, 37. G.F. 9:265. F.S.R. 3, p. 59. G.W. 10, p. 249; 11, p. 304; 13, pp. 67, 175. Gng. 1:309.—Many garden forms have originated in cult.; the following are the most important: Var. adpressa, Carr. (T. parvifolia, Wender. T. brevifolia, Hort., not Nutt. T. tardiva, Laws. T. baccata tardiva, Pilger). Shrub or low tree of irregular habit, with long spreading branches: lvs. oblong, obtusish, mucronulate, 1/3 – 1/2 in. long: disk of fr. shorter than the seed. R.H. 1886, p. 104. Gn. 35, p. 37. Very distinct form. Var. adpressa erecta, Nichols. (var. adpressa stricta, Beissn.), has the foliage of the preceding, but erect branches forming a columnar bush. Var. aurea, Carr. (var. elvastonensis aurea, Beissn.). Lvs. golden yellow, more brightly colored at the tips and margin. This form has proved hardier than the type in New England. F.E. 20:703. Var. argentea, Loud. (var. elegantissima, Hort.). Lvs. striped straw-yellow or sometimes whitish. Var. Dovastonii, Loud. Branches wide-spreading, nodding at the tips: lvs. dull green, short and abruptly mucronulate. G. 3:89. A very handsome form. Var. Dovastonii aureo-variegata, Beissn., is a form with the lvs. variegated with yellow. Var. erecta, Loud. (var. stricta, Hort.). Bushy form, with slender, upright branches and branchlets: lvs. narrower and smaller than in the type. Var. ericoides, Carr. (var. microphylla, Hort.). Dwarf form, with slender branches and small and very narrow, pointed leaves. Var. fastigiata, Loud. (T. hibernica, Hort.). Strictly fastigiate form, with stout crowded upright branches and branchlets: lvs. spirally arranged around the branches, dark glossy green. Gn. 35, p. 36; 40, p. 62. R.H. 1886:105. G. 2:85. F.E. 18:397; 33:315. G.W. 1, p. 349; 8, p. 301; 10, p. 393. One of the most desirable evergreens of columnar habit for formal gardens. Var. fastigiata variegata, Carr. Less vigorous and more tender: lvs. marked yellowish white. Var. fastigiata aurea, Standish. Young growth golden yellow. Var. Fisheri, Hort. Some of the lvs. deep yellow, others green. Var. glauca, Carr. Vigorous form, with longer and narrower lvs. dark green above and with a glaucous bluish tint beneath. Var. Jacksonii, Gord. (var. pendula, Hort.). Branches spreading, pendulous at the tips, with more or less incurved lvs. Var. luteo-baccata, Pilger (var. fructu luteo, Loud.). With yellow fr. Gn. 35, p. 37. R.H. 1886, p. 104. Var. procumbens, Loud. Prostrate shrub, with elongated and much ramified branches. Var. repandens, Hort. A low form with long wide-spreading branches and dull bluish green lvs. Var. Washingtonii, Beissn. Vigorous form, with longer lvs., partly colored golden yellow. |