Torreya californica California Torreya

(Found in California)

Torreya taxifolia Florida Torreya

(Found in Florida) 

Torreya is a fascinating genus of species with disjunct distributions. There are six species known from the world with two in North America and the other four from Japan and China. The two North American species have very different ranges. California Torreya is found in the mountains of central and northern California, but Florida Torreya is restricted to the east bank of the Apalachicola River in the Panhandle region of Florida.

The species of Torreya are dioecious (male and female cones located on separate trees). The needles are in two rows of leaf pairs and the female seed cones are olive-like with a fleshy over over the interior seed. The North America species are both aromatic, although people are generally less complementary about the smell of Florida Torreya than they are of its California cousin.

Identification Features:

Female seed cone olive-shaped with a fleshy or leathery covering over the seed; needles in two rows of oppposite pairs of needles.