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Showing posts with the label TorreyaKeepers

The endangered Florida Torreya tree struggles along Apalachicola ravines

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by Lilly Anderson-Messec, Director of North Florida Programs and TorreyaKeepers Coordinator. Originally published in the Tallahassee Democrat November 11, 2021 ( link ) The large female Torreya cones take 18 months to mature and female tree of reproductive are extremely rare. Nestled in the unique and biodiverse steephead ravines along the mighty Apalachicola River, an evergreen tree found nowhere else in the world teeters on the brink of extinction. Since European colonization, Torreya taxifolia has been known by many names; Florida Torreya, stinking cedar, Florida nutmeg, polecat wood, fetid yew, and gopherwood. Many of these refer to the tree’s pungent odor when the leaves are bruised, or the wood is cut. To me, the scent is similar to the aroma of tomato plants but much more concentrated. Its Latin name honors New York botanist John Torrey, who first acknowledged it as a new species based on samples sent in 1833 from Florida. At that time, Florida Torreya was a standard component o...

TorreyaKeepers Update December 2019

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On December 5th, Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) Executive Director Juliet Rynear joined staff from the Atlanta Botanical Garden (ABG) and volunteers from FNPS, Jacksonville Zoo, and Jacksonville Arboretum to monitor Florida Torreya trees in Torreya State Park , near Bristol. This was just 1 day in a week-long monitoring expedition that takes place annually on public property where this rare tree occurs. The FNPS TorreyaKeepers project is focused on working with private landowners to locate and conserve trees on private property. This project will expand upon the work that ABG is doing and help to conserve more of the genetic diversity of Florida Torreya. Currently, we are working on a brochure to help private landowners identify Florida Torreya and distinguish it from other similar-looking trees. We will also be developing a brochure on best management practices to help private landowners protect the species on their properties. Each tree is assigned a unique number on a ...