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Florida nutmeg, Florida torreya, gopherwood, stinking-cedar

Habit Trees to 13(–18) m; trunk to 8 dm diam.; crown rather open-conical.
Branches

spreading to slightly drooping; 2-year-old branches yellowish green, yellowish brown, or gray.

Leaves

1.5–3.8 cm, abaxial side with 2 scarcely impressed, grayish bands of stomates, rounded on adaxial side, emitting fetid odor when crushed.

Pollen cones

pale yellow.

Seed

(including aril) 2.5–3.5 cm;

aril glaucous, dark green, streaked with purple.

Torreya taxifolia

Habitat River bluffs, slopes, and moist ravines
Elevation 15–30 m (0–100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Torreya taxifolia is a rare endemic mainly along the Apalachicola River.

Populations of Torreya taxifolia were thriving until the 1950s, but since then they have been decimated by fungal disease (R. L. Godfrey and H. Kurz 1962). Only nonreproductive stump sprouts remain in the wild. The Florida torreya was listed as federally endangered in 1984 under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and efforts are underway to reestablish this once thriving species in its native habitat (L. R. McMahan 1989).

Of conservation concern.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Taxaceae > Torreya
Sibling taxa
T. californica
Synonyms Tumion taxifolium
Name authority Arnott: Ann. Nat. Hist. 1: 130. (1838)
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