the trees of great britain & ireland - Facsimile Books & other digitally ...
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no The Trees <strong>of</strong> Great Britain and Ireland<br />
A. Fastigiate Forms.—In <strong>the</strong>se <strong>the</strong> branches take an upward direction (vertical<br />
or ascending), and <strong>the</strong> leaves tend to spread out radially from <strong>the</strong> branchlets.<br />
i. Var. fastigiata, Irish Yew, Florencecourt Yew.<br />
Taxus toccata fastigiata, Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. iv. 2066 (1838).<br />
Taxus fastigiata, Lindley, Syn. Brit, flora, 241 (1829).<br />
Taxus hibernica, Hook, ex Loudon, loc. fit.<br />
Columnar and compact in habit, all <strong>the</strong> branches and branchlets being directed<br />
vertically upwards. Branches stout, branchlets few and short. Leaves, always<br />
spreading radially in all directions around <strong>the</strong> branchlets, dark green and shining, with<br />
<strong>the</strong> apex usually more obtuse than in <strong>the</strong> common yew. Dr. Masters considers <strong>the</strong><br />
Irish yew to be a juvenile form, 1 in which <strong>the</strong> characters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seedling (<strong>the</strong> radial<br />
disposition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> leaves and <strong>the</strong> upright habit) are preserved throughout <strong>the</strong> life <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> plant. As <strong>the</strong> original tree was a female, and <strong>the</strong> variety is propagated by cuttings,<br />
all Irish yews are <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same sex. When <strong>the</strong>y bear flowers <strong>the</strong>y are generally fertilised<br />
by <strong>the</strong> pollen <strong>of</strong> common yews growing in <strong>the</strong>ir neighbourhood, and <strong>the</strong> seed resulting,<br />
when planted, generally produces plants indistinguishable from <strong>the</strong> common yew. 2<br />
Dr. Masters 1 received from Mr. Tillett <strong>of</strong> Sprowston, near Norwich, sprays <strong>of</strong> an Irish<br />
yew which bore male flowers. This was apparently an instance <strong>of</strong> a monoecious<br />
tree, a phenomenon which occurs though rarely in <strong>the</strong> common yew. No true male<br />
Irish yew has ever been met with. The aril <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Irish yew differs usually from<br />
that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> common form in being more oblong in shape.<br />
The Irish yew was discovered 3 in <strong>the</strong> mountains <strong>of</strong> Fermanagh above Florence-<br />
court by a farmer named Willis about <strong>the</strong> year 1780. He found two plants, one <strong>of</strong><br />
which he planted in his own garden, and is now no longer living. The o<strong>the</strong>r was<br />
planted at Florencecourt, <strong>the</strong> seat <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Earl <strong>of</strong> Enniskillen ; and from it cuttings<br />
were distributed, which are <strong>the</strong> source <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> Irish yews in cultivation. The<br />
original tree is still living, and a figure <strong>of</strong> it is given in Veitch's Manual, p . 141, as it<br />
appeared about thirty years ago. Kent says that in 1900 it had an open straggling<br />
appearance.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> finest Irish yews known to us is that at Seaforde, near dough, Co.<br />
Down, <strong>the</strong> seat <strong>of</strong> Major W. G. Forde. This tree was reported to be 33 feet high<br />
in 1888,* and 35^ feet in 1903. 5 A plate <strong>of</strong> it is given (Plate 58), reproduced from a<br />
photograph kindly sent us by <strong>the</strong> owner, who reports <strong>the</strong> present measurements<br />
(1905) to be: Height, 37 feet; girth at <strong>the</strong> ground, 9 feet; circumference <strong>of</strong><br />
branches at 20 feet from <strong>the</strong> ground, 91 feet.<br />
Two large <strong>trees</strong> exist at Comber, Co. Down, <strong>of</strong> which Mr. Justice Andrews<br />
gives <strong>the</strong> following particulars in a letter:<br />
"The Irish upright yew <strong>trees</strong> at Comber, mentioned in Mackay's Flora<br />
Hibernica ( 1836), p. 260, are <strong>the</strong> two large yews" in <strong>the</strong> garden beside ' Araghmore,'<br />
<strong>the</strong> residence <strong>of</strong> Mrs. John Andrews. My earliest recollection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m goes back<br />
1 Card. Chron. 1 891, x. 68.<br />
2 Sir C. Stricklancl writes in Card. Chron. 1 877, vii. 151 : "All <strong>the</strong> plants I have raised from Irish yew berries are<br />
exactly like <strong>the</strong> common yew." But Elwes saw at Orion Hall three seedlings from <strong>the</strong> Irish yew <strong>of</strong> which one was fastigiate<br />
in habit. 3 Card. Chron. 1 873, p. 1336. 4 Ibid. 1 888, iv. 484.<br />
6 Ibid. 1 903, xxxiii. 60. 6 London figures one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se on p. 2067.<br />
Taxus in<br />
60 or 70 years, and <strong>the</strong>y were <strong>the</strong>n apparently as tall as <strong>the</strong>y are now, but not so<br />
much spread out. I cannot accurately estimate <strong>the</strong>ir height and girth, but <strong>the</strong>y are<br />
<strong>the</strong> two largest upright yews I have seen."<br />
At Brockhill, 1 Worcester, <strong>the</strong>re are two large Irish yews, estimated by Mr. Lees<br />
to have been at least 100 years old. Very handsome specimens are also growing at<br />
Montacute House, Somerset.<br />
The Irish yew is very effective as a garden tree, but requires pruning and wiring<br />
every two or three years in order to keep it in good shape. There is at Colesborne<br />
a terrace planted on both sides with Irish yews about 50 years ago, which are kept<br />
in shape by wire, and when so treated are <strong>of</strong> very uniform growth and habit.<br />
Taxus fastigiata aurea is a form <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Irish yew, in which <strong>the</strong> young shoots<br />
are golden yellow. In Taxus fastigiata argentea <strong>the</strong> tips <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> branchlets are white.<br />
2. Var. Chesthiintensis.<br />
Taxus baccata Chesthuntensis, Gordon, Pinet. Suppl. 9 8 (1862).<br />
This was raised by William Paul <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cheshunt Nursery from a seed <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Irish yew, which it resembles. The branches, however, are ascending, but not<br />
so erect as in <strong>the</strong> parent form. The leaves have an acute apex, and resemble in<br />
colour those <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Irish yew, being dark green and shining on <strong>the</strong> upper surface ;<br />
<strong>the</strong>y are broader and shorter than those <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> common yew. It is less formal than<br />
<strong>the</strong> Irish yew, and is said to grow twice as fast.<br />
3. Var. elegantissima.—This was raised, according to Barren, 2 by Fox <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Wetley Rock Nurseries, who had an Irish and a golden yew growing toge<strong>the</strong>r,<br />
from which this came as a seedling. It is generally a dense compact shrub, but<br />
forms occur which are more open in habit. The leaves are usually radially spread<br />
ing, but are <strong>of</strong>ten two-ranked on some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> branchlets; <strong>the</strong>y are long, and<br />
terminate gradually in a long, fine cartilaginous point. Young leaves are golden<br />
yellow ; adult leaves have white margins.<br />
4. Var. erecta.<br />
Taxus baccata erecta, Loudon, loc. cit. 2068 (1838).<br />
Taxus baccata Crmvderi, Gordon, Pin. Suppl. 98 (1862).<br />
Taxus baccata stricta, Hort.<br />
A dense broad shrub with erect and ascending branches. The leaves are dark<br />
green, shining, short, and acute; and are usually radially arranged, but <strong>of</strong>ten on <strong>the</strong><br />
lower branchlets are disposed in two ranks.<br />
The Nidpath Yew 3 resembles this variety, but is more columnar in habit, with<br />
a tendency to spread at <strong>the</strong> top. The leaves, as seen on a shrub at Kew, are<br />
bluish green, and usually are all radially arranged.<br />
A variety named imperialis is described as being a slender, tall form with<br />
ascending branches and dark green leaves.<br />
1 Trans. Worcester Nat. Hist. Club, 1 847-1896, p. 211.<br />
2 Card. Chron. 1 868, p. 921. Veitch's Manual, 1st ed. 302, states that it was introduced by Messrs. Fisher, Son, and<br />
Sibray <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Handsworth Nurseries, near Sheffield. s Nicholson, Diet, <strong>of</strong> Gardening, iv. 12.