. Fig. 32.—The Common Yew, Taxus haccata. a, Part of a branch (of the natural size) showing the needle-like leaves in two opposite rows, and three fruits. The cup-like growth which is seen surrounding the naked seed is called an " ; It is of a fine crimson colour, soft, juicy, and sweet-tasting. b, The young cone-like growth or " flower " of the yew, from the end of which one seed and its cup-like aril will develop. Magnified. c, The seed surrounded by the incompletely grown aril or cup at a later stage. Less highly magnified than b. we have : fifth, the order Taxaceee
. Fig. 32.—The Common Yew, Taxus haccata. a, Part of a branch (of the natural size) showing the needle-like leaves in two opposite rows, and three fruits. The cup-like growth which is seen surrounding the naked seed is called an " ; It is of a fine crimson colour, soft, juicy, and sweet-tasting. b, The young cone-like growth or " flower " of the yew, from the end of which one seed and its cup-like aril will develop. Magnified. c, The seed surrounded by the incompletely grown aril or cup at a later stage. Less highly magnified than b. we have : fifth, the order Taxaceee (or yew trees); and, sixth, the order Coniferae (or cypresses, pines, cedars, and firs). The first four orders, though very interest- ing, exceptional plants we will leave aside, as they do not come very near to the Coniferae. The order of yew trees, Taxaceae, however, does come close to the Coniferae, and sometimes they are grouped together. There is one truly native British ex- ample of the order Taxaceae—the com- mon yew tree, called " Taxus baccata " by botanists. Its leaves are " needles," like those of most conifers, but much flattened, and it has the sombre colour and the general aspect of some of the larger conifers. But its ovule-bearing flower, although it appears when young (Fig. 32, b) to be built up by several scale- like leaves like the cone of a conifer, does not continue in
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlankestereray, booksubjectnaturalhistory, bookyear1915
