Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Torreya jackii

Common name:		Family:	Cephalotaxaceae
Author:	Chun.	Botanical references:	200, 266
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - E. China.
Habitat:	Woods at elevations of 400 - 1000 metres in N Fujian, NE Jiangxi S Zhejiang provinces[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Pinales. Plum Yew family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 10m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Wind. The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade.

Edible Uses

Oil Seed.

Seed[81]. No more details are given but it is likely that the seed can be eaten raw or cooked and is rich in oil.
An edible oil is obtained from the seed[105, 177].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Incense Wood.

The leaves are very aromatic when bruised or burned, giving off a fragrance like sandalwood oil[266].
The wood is very fragrant, and is used to make agricultural implements, utensils, and handicrafts[266].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil, tolerating some lime[1]. Requires a sheltered position and either high humidity or a moist riverside soil[200]. Dislikes wind exposure[200]. Tolerates woodland shade very well[200]. Requires hot, very humid summers for best growth[200].
Quite rare in the wild, this is a vulnerable species at risk of becoming extinct in the wild[266].
Torreya jackii is unlike the other Chinese members of the genus and is remarkably similar to Cephalotaxus fortunei, from which it can be distinguished by its sessile seed-bearing structures and by the peculiar, strongly twisted leaf arrangement[266].
The seed takes two summers to mature[229].
This species is not very hardy in Britain, though trees can be grown outdoors in the milder parts of the country[81].
Plants are dioecious, but sometimes monoecious with dioecious branches. Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Some of the seed should germinate in the following spring though much of it might take another 12 months. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification and can take 18 months or more to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as growth is observed and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least the next couple of winters, making sure to pot them on into larger pots as and when required. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer when the plants are at least 20cm tall.
Cuttings of half-ripe shoots in late summer[1]. Cuttings do not grow well[11].
Layering.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Cephalotaxaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X
Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

Main Search Page Help Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Torreya+jackii
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Torreya+jackii

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Privacy Policy :: Philosophy :: The Witchs Haven

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.