The fact that this tree is commonly called “California nutmeg” threw me into a tizzy for a few minutes. Nutmeg? It is very aromatic . . . Wait, but it’s a yew. Does nutmeg come from a yew? Mind reeling . . . but no. It’s just called that because its cones look a lot like nutmegs.
Sermons in Stones 
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March 10, 2022 at 5:36 pm
Erp
It is named for John Torrey who co-authored one of the first books on the Flora of North America. The Native Americans used the wood for bows and the roots for making baskets and the seeds eaten (with care, apparently similar seeds are dangerous). The wood can be used in wood working and the related Torreya nucifera (kaya) of Japan is used to make Go boards.
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