Florida torreya Taxaceae Torreya taxifolia Arn. symbol: TOTA Leaf: Evergreen, linear-lanceolate flat needles, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, two-ranked when produced in the shade, stiff with a very sharp point, shiny green above and 2 pale lines below. Strong odor when crushed. Flower: Species is dioecious; male flowers are small, elliptical, pale yellow, and occur at the base of the leaves; female flowers are tiny, consisting of an ovule surrounded by a fleshy sac and are borne on current year twigs, appear in early spring. Fruit: A fleshy aril, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long; similar to a very large olive with a fleshy, leathery outer green covering and an inner, yellow-brown, thick walled seed. Takes two years to mature. Twig: Slender, green when young turning reddish brown as they mature. Bark: Mature bark is thin, orange-brown with shallow, irregular fissures and shreddy strips. Form: Now only found as a sprouting shrub reaching a few feet tall. It once reached heights of 50 to 60 feet and over 1 foot in diameter with a conical or rounded crown depending on age. Looks like: California nutmeg - English yew - Chinese plum-yew Additional Range Information: Torreya taxifolia is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting Florida torreya. External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America USDAFS Additional Silvics USDA Plants Database Horticulture © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson