This small genus, named in honour of the late Professor John Torrey of New York, one of the authors of the 'North America Flora/ is closely allied to the Yews, and is composed of small evergreen trees, natives of North America, Japan, and the north of China. They are remarkable for the peculiarly disagreeable ruelike odour they emit when bruised or burned, - hence their popular name.

Though very ornamental, with one or two exceptions, they are unfortunately scarcely hardy enough to be very generally planted as shrubbery plants in Britain; and though specimens of all the species are to be found in exceptionally mild localities, they suffer injury to a greater or less extent in most winters, and present an appearance, even at their best, the reverse of handsome.

The two following are noted as the hardiest of the genus, and as likely to succeed when well sheltered; they are at least interesting enough to be well worthy of a fair trial where a favourable situation is available: -

Torreya Nucifera (The Nut-Hearing Torreya)

This species is found wild on mountains in the north of Japan, particularly on the islands of Niphon and Sikak, where it occurs in great abundance as a large shrub or tree of from 20 to 30 feet in height, and is also cultivated all over Japan, its nuts producing an oil useful for culinary purposes.

It is here a compact broadly conical bush, with numerous horizontal branches divided into short branchlets, thickly clothed with Yewlike leaves of a dark glossy green colour above and slightly glaucous underneath. Where this plant succeeds, it forms an extremely pretty and interesting specimen, very desirable as a variety among other dwarf or slow-growing Conifers.

Torreya Myristica (The Califomian Nutmeg)

This is a fine species indigenous to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California: introduced in 1848. It is said to be a small bushy-headed tree with spreading horizontal branches, growing to heights of from 20 to 40 feet. The timber is of a light-yellow colour, heavy, fine-grained, and is said to resist the attacks of insects better than any of the other pines.

Since its introduction to Britain, it has been widely distributed in almost every district; and while it undoubtedly requires to be well sheltered, it has proved itself to be the hardiest of the genus, and fine specimens are frequently to be met with growing as freely as the common Yew. Its habit of growth is sharply conical; the branches, which clothe the stem from the ground upwards, are divided into short stiff branchlets; the leaves are shaped like those of the Yew, and from 2 to 2 1/2 inches long, of a yellowish-green colour above, and of a paler tint underneath. It is an elegant lawn plant, and valuable as a contrast with others of darker tints and denser habits of growth.