stinking yew

stinking yew

tree
also called  fetid yew, Florida torreya, or stinking cedar 

      (species Torreya taxifolia), an ornamental evergreen conifer tree of the yew family (Taxaceae), limited in distribution to western Florida and southwestern Georgia, U.S. The stinking yew, which grows to 13 metres (about 43 feet) in height in cultivation, carries an open pyramidal head of spreading, slightly drooping branches. The brownish, orange-tinged bark is irregularly furrowed and scaly. The leaves are spiny-pointed, 2 to 3 cm (about 0.7 to 1.2 inches) long, and 3 mm (0.1 inch) broad; they are dark green and slightly curved above and pale green beneath. The seeds, 2–3 cm long, are surrounded by plumlike, dark purple arils, or seed coverings. Seeds, arils, leaves, and wood emit a disagreeable, fetid odour when bruised or crushed.

      Although T. taxifolia does well in cultivation, it is critically imperiled in the wild and is considered an endangered species. Habitat destruction has eliminated some populations, and for reasons not fully understood the remaining plants fail to grow to full height and do not reproduce. Research is under way on methods to stabilize existing remnant populations and to restore stinking yew at some sites where it formerly grew.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • stinking yew — noun rare small evergreen of northern Florida; its glossy green leaves have an unpleasant fetid smell when crushed • Syn: ↑stinking cedar, ↑Torrey tree, ↑Torreya taxifolia • Hypernyms: ↑yew • Member Holonyms: ↑Torreya, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • yew — yew1 /yooh/, n. 1. any of several evergreen, coniferous trees and shrubs of the genera Taxus and Torreya, constituting the family Taxaceae, of the Old World, North America, and Japan, having needlelike or scalelike foliage and seeds enclosed in a …   Universalium

  • stinking cedar — noun rare small evergreen of northern Florida; its glossy green leaves have an unpleasant fetid smell when crushed • Syn: ↑stinking yew, ↑Torrey tree, ↑Torreya taxifolia • Hypernyms: ↑yew • Member Holonyms: ↑Torreya, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • stinking cedar — an evergreen tree, Torreya taxifolia, of the yew family, native to Florida, having rank smelling foliage and dark green, egg shaped fruit. [1865 70] * * * …   Universalium

  • Florida yew — noun small bushy yew of northern Florida having spreading branches and very narrow leaves • Syn: ↑Taxus floridana • Hypernyms: ↑yew • Member Holonyms: ↑Taxus, ↑genus Taxus * * * noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • fetid yew — noun : stinking cedar 1 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Torreya — noun nutmeg yews • Syn: ↑genus Torreya • Hypernyms: ↑gymnosperm genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Cephalotaxaceae, ↑family Cephalotaxaceae, ↑plum yew family …   Useful english dictionary

  • Torreya taxifolia — Taxobox name = Torreya taxifolia status = CR status system = iucn2.3 image width = 240px image caption = Leaves of Torreya taxifolia regnum = Plantae divisio = Pinophyta classis = Pinopsida ordo = Pinales familia = Cephalotaxaceae genus = Torreya …   Wikipedia

  • Torrey tree — noun rare small evergreen of northern Florida; its glossy green leaves have an unpleasant fetid smell when crushed • Syn: ↑stinking cedar, ↑stinking yew, ↑Torreya taxifolia • Hypernyms: ↑yew • Member Holonyms: ↑Torreya, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • genus Torreya — noun nutmeg yews • Syn: ↑Torreya • Hypernyms: ↑gymnosperm genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Cephalotaxaceae, ↑family Cephalotaxaceae, ↑plum yew family …   Useful english dictionary

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