Torreya californica

California Nutmeg

The California Nutmeg ( Torreya californica ) is a plant of the genus nut yew ( Torreya ) in the family of Yews ( Taxaceae ).

Occurrence

The California Nutmeg is native to a relatively small area in California Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada, at altitudes from 0 to 2000 meters and there is preferably present in rivers.

Description

The California Nutmeg is up to 1 meter reaches an evergreen tree, the stature heights of 10 to 30 meters and a trunk diameter. The bark is gray-brown with fine cracks. The needles are 3-8 cm long and end in a sharp point.

The California Nutmeg is dioecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ). The male pin is whitish. The seed coat ( aril ) is similar to plum, about 3 cm long and is green with purple stripes. The aril encloses a large ( 2.5 to 3.5 cm) brown seeds.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Torreya californica. In: The Gymnosperm Database. August 22, 2011, accessed on 25 October 2011 ( English).