SPECIES: Torreya taxifolia
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Table of Contents
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| Florida torreya. Creative Commons image by Zoya Akulova. |
Introductory
SPECIES: Torreya taxifolia
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION:
Esser, Lora L. 1993. Torreya taxifolia. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/tortax/all.html [].
Revisions:
On 21 June 2018 images were added.
ABBREVIATION:
TORTAX
SYNONYMS:
Tumion taxifolium (Arn.) Greene
SCS PLANT CODE:
TOTA
COMMON NAMES:
Florida torreya
Florida nutmeg
gopherwood
polecat wood
Savin
stinking cedar
TAXONOMY:
The scientific name of Florida torreya is Torreya taxifolia Arn.
It is a member of the yew family (Taxaceae) [11,17]. There are no
recognized subspecies, varieties, or forms [2].
LIFE FORM:
Tree
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:
Endangered [17]
OTHER STATUS:
Florida torreya is state-listed as threatened [24].
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Torreya taxifolia
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:
Florida torreya is endemic to three counties in northern Florida
(Liberty, Gadsden, and Jackson) and extends 1 mile into Decatur County,
Georgia [2,11]. The natural range of this species extends along the
limestone bluffs on the eastern bank of the Apalachicola River and its
tributaries for a 40-mile (64-km) stretch [14]. There is a small colony
of 60 trees approximately 6 miles west of the river at a site known as
Dog Pond in Jackson County [2,11]. Florida torreya is not an abundant
species, and local occurrence is widely scattered along the Apalachicola
River [9,11]. There is a small, introduced population of trees located
in Asheville, North Carolina, on the Biltmore Estate [14].
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| Distribution of Florida torreya. Map courtesy of USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database.
National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC [2018, June 21] [16]. |
ECOSYSTEMS:
FRES12 Longleaf - slash pine
FRES13 Loblolly - shortleaf pine
FRES14 Oak - pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES16 Oak - gum - cypress
STATES:
FL GA NC
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS:
NO-ENTRY
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:
KO79 Palmetto prairie
K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest
K112 Southern mixed forest
K113 Southern floodplain forest
SAF COVER TYPES:
70 Longleaf pine
71 Longleaf pine - scrub oak
73 Southern redcedar
74 Cabbage palmetto
80 Loblolly pine - shortleaf pine
81 Loblolly pine
82 Loblolly pine - hardwood
83 Longleaf pine - slash pine
84 Slash pine
85 Slash pine - hardwood
87 Sweet gum - yellow-poplar
98 Pond pine
111 South Florida slash pine
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES:
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES:
Florida torreya is associated with oak-tupelo-cypress
(Quercus-Nyssa-Cupressus) and oak-pine (Quercus-Pinus) forests on the
eastern bank of the Apalachicola River [14]. The longleaf
pine/wiregrass (P. palustris/Aristida stricta) sandhill community is
upslope from these forests [1,21].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Torreya taxifolia
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE:
Commercial harvesting of Florida torreya is nonexistant due to scant
availablility [11]. The fine-grained yellow wood is, however, highly
attractive and of good quality [2]. It is lightweight, hard, strong,
and highly durable [14]. The wood was historically used for making
cabinets and fenceposts [15]. Fences made of Florida torreya 60 years
ago are still sound [2]. Florida torreya was also used for Christmas
trees [14].
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:
Various animals eat Florida torreya seeds [14].
PALATABILITY:
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE:
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:
NO-ENTRY
OTHER USES AND VALUES:
Florida torreya was planted as an ornamental on the Biltmore Estate,
Asheville, North Carolina [14].
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
Florida torreya is almost extinct in its natural range [9]. In 1988 the
Center for Plant Conservation stated that Florida torreya faces such a
serious and immediate threat of extinction that it will be gone in 10
years unless concerted conservation steps are taken [4]. An intricate
array of circumstances threatens Florida torreya. The population is
reduced because of habitat destruction by inundation and logging and
fungal pathogens that kill young trees before they reach sexual maturity
[4,21].
Disease: Florida torreya populations are drastically reduced by stem
and needle blights [2]. The fungi responsible for these blights have
been identified as members of the genera Physalospora and Macrophoma.
As many as 11 species of fungi attack Florida torreya [9,13]. How the
infection begins is unknown. It may begin with fungi attacking the tree
while the fungi are in their sexual reproductive cycle [14].
Sudden exposure to full sunlight following logging of other tree species
may stress Florida torreya, leading to susceptibility to fungal invasion
[12].
Fungicide: Infected Florida torreya trees treated with the commercial
fungicide Maneb recovered markedly and produced new growth with little
or no infection [12,14].
Pests: Feral pigs uproot and destroy Florida torreya seedlings [20].
Deer preferrentially select Florida torreya saplings as antler rubbing
posts, and sometimes kill saplings while rubbing their antlers [21].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Torreya taxifolia
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Florida torreya is a dioecious native evergreen tree, typically from 30
to 40 feet (9-12 m) tall and 12 to 20 inches (30-50 cm) in diameter
[11,14]. The largest living specimen is in North Carolina, and measures
about 45 feet (14 m) in height and 35 inches (89 cm) d.b.h. Florida
torreya bark is only about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) thick on mature trees,
and is irregularly divided by shallow fissures. The ovules or arils are
1.2 to 1.6 inches (3-4 cm) long. They are fleshy, turning leathery at
maturity. The seeds have a woody seed coat [20].
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Florida torreya foliage. Public domain
image, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=335469. |
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM:
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES:
Male Florida torreya bear their microsporophylls within strobili. In
contrast, the ovules of female trees are not contained within strobili
but are solitary [14]. Male strobili begin growth the year prior to
flowering, while female trees develop ovules in one growing season
[11,14]. Florida torreya produces male and female cones at the age of
20 [14]. Torreya species are wind pollinated. Seeds mature in 2 years
[15]. At Maclay State Gardens, some germination occurred when seeds
were placed in rich, damp topsoil. Of 35 seeds planted in wet spaghnum
moss, 80 percent germinated. Germination is hypogeal, and seeds require
afterripening [14]. Viable seeds are rock hard when ripe. Seeds
collected from diseased trees are soft and crumble easily [15]. Because
of fungal infection, sexual reproduction has virtually stopped in this
species. Infected trees seldom bear reproductive structures.
Consequently, few trees can be identified as either male or female [21].
Few seedlings have been found in the wild since the late 1950's [14],
and current reproduction is almost solely vegetative [21,22].
Florida torreya sprouts from the roots, bole, and root crown following
damage to aboveground portions of the tree [14,15,20,21,22]. Numerous
sprouts are produced at the base of the parent tree, although only one
sprout usually survives after several years [14]. Basal sprouts grow
several feet before succumbing to infection [15].
Florida torreya is propagated with stem cuttings [21].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS:
Florida torreya occurs mainly on steep, deeply shaded limestone slopes,
bluffs, and wooded ravines, but is not confined to them [8,9,14]. It
also occurs in forest hammocks and on slopes of ravines cutting through
sandhills. The population in Jackson County, Florida, occurs on gently
rolling hills [8]. Soils are well drained [21], with a pH range from
4.0 to 8.0 [8]. The climate is subtropical, with wet summers and dry
winters. The average annual precipitation is 56 inches (1,420 mm), and
the average growing season is 270 days [14]. Florida torreya
transplants grow on southern aspects of the Appalachian Mountains,
suggesting the species is more cold tolerant than its present range
indicates [21].
Common overstory associates not listed under Distribution and Occurrence
include spruce pine (P. glabra), southern red oak (Quercus falcata),
American beech (Fagus grandifolia), magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora),
American holly (Ilex opaca), Florida maple (Acer barbatum), basswood
(Tilia americana var. heterophylla), Florida yew (Taxus floridana), and
eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana). Understory associates include
poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), greenbriar (Smilax spp.), crossvine
(Bignonia capreolata), oak-leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), grape
(Vitis rotundifolia), climbing hydrangea (Decumaria barbara), French
mulberry (Callicarpa americana), woodbine (Parthenocissus), yaupon (Ilex
vomitoria), blackberry (Rubus spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), panicgrass
(Panicum spp.), partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), little sweet Betsy
(Trillium cuneatum), cane (Arundinaria gigantea), and American climbing
fern (Lygodium palmatum) [8,12,14].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:
Florida torreya is shade tolerant and is found in late seral and climax
communities [8]. It grows better in full sunlight at Maclay State
Gardens than in the dense shade of its natural habitat [14]. Seedlings,
however, tolerate the deep shade of pines and hardwoods [14], and
are probably more successful competitors on shady sites in their natural
habitat [21].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Reproductive structures emerge in March and April [11]. Seeds ripen
from August to October and are released from September to November
[11,14]. Midsummer aril ripening has been reported for Florida torreya,
but is not typical [11]. Needles persist for 3 to 4 years [20].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Torreya taxifolia
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:
Published research on fire adaptations of Florida torreya is lacking.
A related species, California torreya (Torreya californica), sprouts
from the roots, root crown, and bole following fire (see FEIS literature
summary for Torreya californica). Florida torreya probably also sprouts
from the roots, root crown, and bole after fire.
FIRE REGIMES:
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY:
Tree with adventitious-bud root crown/soboliferous species root sucker
Geophyte, growing points deep in soil
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Torreya taxifolia
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT:
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE:
Because sprouting from the roots, bole, and root crown are natural
methods of regeneration in this species [14,15,20,21,22], Florida
torreya probably sprouts from those organs after fire.
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
Schwartz, a biologist with the Florida Nature Conservancy, suggested
that in the past, smoke may have acted as a natural fungicide,
suppressing the fungi now infecting Forida torreya. Ground fires
resulting from lightning strikes were a constant feature of the region's
longleaf pine forests until recently. Smoke drifting from these upland
fires settled in the ravines where Florida torreya grew. This may have
kept the fungal spore load low. After fire suppression, the spore load
may have reached a critical mass, resulting in the present outbreak
[21]. In August and October of 1987, 2,670 acres (1,080 ha) of a
longleaf pine-slash pine (P. elliottii) forest were burned. Two of the
eleven fungal pathogens identified in stricken Florida torreya were
suppressed by smoke [13]. The Tall Timbers Research Station in
Tallahassee, Florida, is currently researching the effects of smoke on
the fungi that infect Florida torreya. The research is as yet
unpublished [23].
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Torreya taxifolia
REFERENCES:
1. Boyles-Sprenkel, Carolee. 1993. Restoring a "grass-roots" forest.
American Forests. 99(5&6): 43-45, 60-61. [21284]
2. Burke, J. G. 1975. Human use of the California nutmeg tree, Torreya
calidornica, and other members of the genus. Economic Botany. 29:
127-139. [19267]
3. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
4. Falk, Donald A. 1990. Endangered forest resources in the U.S.:
integrated strategies for conservation of rare species and genetic
diversity. Forest Ecology and Management. 35(1-2): 91-107. [13035]
5. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
6. Gibson, David J. 1992. Vegetation-environment relationships in a
southern mixed hardwood forest. Castanea. 57(3): 174-189. [19717]
7. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
8. Kurz, Herman. 1927. A new and remarkable habitat for the endemic Florida
yew. Torreya. 27: 90-92. [22192]
9. Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1975. Rare and local conifers in the United
States. Conservation Research Rep. No. 19. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 25 p. [15691]
10. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
11. Roy, Douglass F. 1974. Torreya Arn. Torreya. In: Schopmeyer, C. S.,
ed. Seeds of woody plants in the United States. Agriculture Handbook No.
450. Washington: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service:
815-816. [7768]
12. Savage, Thomas. 1983. A Georgia station for Torreya taxifolia Arn.
survives. Florida Scientist. 46(1): 62-64. [21755]
13. Self, David; Kelly, Eugene M. 1988. Rare plant monitoring and prescribed
burning initiated at the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve
(Florida). Restoration & Management Notes. 6(2): 91. [10144]
14. Stalter, Richard. 1990. Torreya taxifolia Arn. Florida torreya. In:
Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., technical coordinators. Silvics
of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agric. Handb. 654. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 601-603. [13420]
15. Toops, Connie. 1981. The `stinking cedar' is in big trouble. American
Forests. 87(7): 46-49, 51. [21834]
16. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2018.
PLANTS Database, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources
Conservation Service (Producer). Available: https://plants.usda.gov/. [34262]
17. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 2016. Endangered
Species Program, [Online]. Available: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/. [86564]
18. Woolf, Norma Bennett. 1990. Biotechnologies sow seeds for the future.
BioScience. 40(5): 346-348. [11076]
19. Alfieri, S. A., Jr.; Martinez, A. P.; Wehlburg, C. 1967. Stem and needle
blight of Florida torreya, Torreya taxifolia Arn. Florida State
Horticultural Society. 80: 428-431. [21764]
20. Kral, Robert. 1983. Taxaceae: Torreya taxifolia Arn. SO-R8-. New
Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern
Forest Experiment Station. 28-31 p. [21789]
21. Nicholson, Rob. 1990. Chasing ghosts. Natural History. 12: 8,10-13.
[21788]
22. Stalter, Richard; Dial, Steve. 1984. Environmental status of the
stinking cedar, Torreya taxifolia. Bartonia. 50: 40-42. [21790]
23. Wade, D. D., pers. com.
24. Wood, Don A., compiler. 1994. Official lists of endangered & potentially
endangered fauna and flora in Florida. Tallahassee, FL: Florida Game and
Fresh Water Fish Commission. 22 p. [24196]
FEIS Home Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/tortax/all.html
