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CPC National Collection Plant Profile

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Tom Ward

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CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Torreya taxifolia

Family:	Taxaceae
Common Names:	Florida torreya, savin, stinking cedar
Author:	Arn.
Growth Habit:	Tree
CPC Number:	4295

Distribution
Protection
Conservation
References

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Photographer: Tom Ward
tomward[at]arnarb.harvard.edu

Torreya taxifolia is Fully Sponsored

Primary custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered Plants is:

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Irina Kadis contributed to this Plant Profile.

Torreya taxifolia

Torreya taxifolia is a small, conical tree of the yew family (Taxaceae) and a close relative to Taxus brevifolia from which the cancer drug Taxol is derived. T. taxifolia, or stinking cedar, is an extremely rare conifer that once towered fifty feet above the forested ravines of the Apalachicola drainage system in northern Florida (Godfrey 1968, Foote and Jones 1994). An ancient genus (at least 160 million years old), torreyas were widely distributed across the northern hemisphere during the Jurassic and Pliocene periods.

Named for John Torrey, one of the most distinguished American botanists (1796-1783), this is one of the rarest native trees in the USA: its range is very limited, and within that limited range, it has become nearly extinct. There are no large trees left in their native habitats. What survives are a few scattered young trees (sapling-size) or suckers from root systems and bases of destroyed plants. A fungal disease is the primary cause of this species plight, and remains the largest threat to its survival (USFWS 1986).

Distribution & Occurrence

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State Range

Florida
Georgia

Habitat

Understory of the rich hardwood hammock beech-magnolia and mixed hardwood forest (USFWS 1983, 1984, 1985). Canopy trees in these forests are mostly deciduous, but evergreen hardwoods and conifers are also common (USFWS 1986).
Bluffs and woods along the Apalachicola, steep slopes of ravines (mid-slope) with nearly permanent seeps, rises in calcareous bottoms. In Florida, torreya also occurs in lower parts of ravine slopes and adjacent floodplains. T. taxifolia prefers shady habitats with dark, moist sandy loam of limestone origin.

Distribution

T. taxifolia ranges primarily along the east side of the Apalachicola River in Liberty County Florida northward to the southern most portion of Decatur County, Georgia (USFWS 1986).

Number Left

There are less than 1500 trees in the wild (Schwartz 1993) but continue to decline (Schwartz and Hermann 1993a).

Protection

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Global Rank:	G1	3/11/2009	Guide to Global Ranks
Federal Status:	LE	10/24/1996	Guide to Federal Status
Recovery Plan:	Yes	9/9/1986

State/Area Protection

State/Area	Rank	Status	Date
Florida	S1	LE	4/1/1998
Georgia		E	7/27/2002

Conservation, Ecology & Research

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Ecological Relationships

Seed are favored by rodents, although their dispersal capability is unknown. Root system is susceptible to fungi. Prescribed fires may play an important role in maintaining population health (Schwartz and Hermann 1993b), but further research is needed.

Threats

The decline of T. taxifolia is due to environmental factors such as harvesting (for fence posts, shingles, firewood and Christmas trees), habitat changes in water flow patterns. These factors have not only reduced population size and range, but have also stressed remaining trees that are now believed to be susceptible to disease (USFWS 1986). Starting in 1960's (Alfieri et al. 1967), a fungal root disease (Alternaria blight?) has killed most large specimens (Brown and Kirkman 1993). Dirr (1998) states that Torreya is susceptible to twig (shoot) blight.

Current Research Summary

A genetic study found that T. taxifolia has an overall low genetic variation: seven of the 20 loci were variable and each polymorphic focus had no more than two alleles (Schwartz 1993).
Schwartz and Hermann (1993b) conclude that foliar pathogens are the most likely symptom of disease and are associated with a significant decline in photosynthetic capacity brought on by canopy shading. Low light has also been found to be the primary limiting factor to T. taxifolia (Schwartz and Hermann 2000).
Foliar pathogens appear to be sensitive to smoke treatments suggesting that the use fire may play an important role in health maintenance for T. taxifolia (Schwartz and Hermann 1993b).
An examination of endophytic fungal communities found associated with T. taxifolia found that a filamentous fungus, Pestalotiopsis microspora was correlated with diseased and non-diseased trees (Lee et al. 1995).

It is generally believed that T. taxifolia is intolerant to high levels of light, however, Koehn and Doudrick (1999) found that their study plants recovered from periods of high light and temperature indicating that this species may be more tolerant to light than originally thought.

Unpublished.
Published research on fire adaptations of Torreya taxifolia (Florida torreya) is lacking. A related species, T. californica (California torreya), sprouts from roots, root crowns, and boles after fire. Torreya taxifolia may respond to fire in a similar manner. Until recently, ground fires were a constant influence on the neighboring long-leaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest community. The smoke from these fires may have operated as a natural fungicide by suppressing a fungus that now infects T. taxifolia. Torreya taxifolia is known from northern Florida and southern Georgia.
The most promising technique for Torreya involved application of cytokinins (4 weekly sprays with 100-200 mg/l BA or 2-i-P) to seedlings before culture. Newly stimulated axillary shoots developed additional shoots and multiple "bud-masses" when cultured on WPM with BA (1 mg/l) and NAA (0.01 mg/l). These were slow to develop but could be subcultured with additional growth of multiple shoots. No rooted plantlets were obtained.

Schwartz, M. W. and S. Herman (1991) present evidence that fire suppression may have contributed to the fungal decline of torreya (Torreya taxifolia). During the 1950s torreya suffered a catastrophic die-back. The torreya die-back was probably caused by needle pathogens induced through environmental stress. Several environmental stresses were concurrent with the decline of the torreya. One of these stresses may have been fire suppression. Torreya grows within ravines, where fires usually do not occur. However, smoke from the frequent natural upland fires settled into ravines. [The authors] present data showing that several needle pathogens isolated from torreya have reduced germination and growth rates on substrates treated with smoke. Succession, as a result of fire suppression, also reduced light incidence within ravines. [The authors] show that torreya growth is correlated with light incidence. [The authors] discuss the fire hypothesis in the context of other hypotheses for the torreya decline. [AA]. Torreya taxifolia is known from Florida and Georgia.,

Current Management Summary

Considerable effort has been made to propagate and establish the species away from its original area (Dirr 1994). Its survival likely will depend upon cultivation in the gardens (Foote & Jones 1994).
There are a few large specimens growing undamaged in botanical gardens and nurseries. At several locations in the Southeast, the plantings so far have escaped the fungal disease and produce viable seed.
The plant considered the national champion is in Norlina, NC: it is 45 ft tall to 40 ft wide; a 30-ft-high specimen is in Lee, FL.
T. taxifolia has been often planted on the public grounds in Tallahassee, FL as an ornamental.
Karl Kern, Wyoming Nurseries in Cincinnati, OH supplied the Arnold Arboretum with plants of T. taxifolia. In 1962, Karl Kern said that they had a large specimen in the area that had survived perfectly.

R. Allen, Calloway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA 31822, collected seeds in Florida in 1981 for the Arnold Arboretum.

Barry Yinger, York Haven, PA (Curator of Asiatic Plants, National Arboretum) in 1983 mailed cuttings from his plant, which, as he stated, had survived -17�F in York Co., PA. The plant had originated from Semmes, Alabama.

Rob Nicholson & Ida Hay in 1985 collected cuttings for the Arnold Arboretum north of Chattahoochee and in five places in Torreya State Park, Florida.

Research Management Needs

The primary objective set forth in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's recovery Plan (1986) is to produce genetically diverse collection of trees from which offspring could be reproduced and reintroduced into the wild . Additional management needs include protecting populations from further decline through individual and habitat protection, conduct studies concerning disease management and study propagation methods (USFWS 1986).

Ex Situ Needs

Torreya is shade-loving and intolerant of much light. The soil has to be light, reach, and with lime. The seeds require a long period of (4-5 months) moist and warm conditions followed by an equally long period of mild cold stratification. Propagation from hardwood cuttings: in 50/50 sand-perlite mix under poly cover, treated with 5,000-10,000 ppm K-IBA yields 80%+ rooting in 4 months.

References

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Books (Single Authors)

1990. Silvics of North America: 1. Conifers; 2. Hardwoods. Agriculture Handbook 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 877p.

Brown, C.L.; Kirkman, L.K. 1993. Trees of Georgia and Adjacent States. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press.

Clewell, A.F. 1985. Guide to Vascular Plants of the Florida Panhandle. Tallahassee, Florida: Florida State University Press. 605p.

Coile, N.C. 2000. Notes on Florida's Regulated Plant Index (Rule 5B-40), Botany Contribution 38. Gainesville, Florida: Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry.

Dirr, M.A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Champaign, Illinois: Stipes Publishing L. L. C.

Foote, L.E.; Jones, S.B., Jr. 1994. Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast. Oregon: Timber Press.

Godfrey, R.K. 1988. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of northern Florida and adjacent Georgia and Alabama. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press. 734p.

Kurz, H.; Godfrey, R.K. 1962. Trees of northern Florida. Gainesville, FL: Univ. Florida Press. 311p.

Little, E.L., Jr. 1978. Atlas of United States trees. Vol. 5: Florida. Miscellaneous Publication No. 1361. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Forest Service. 126p.

Radford, A.E.; Ahles, H.E.; Bell, C.R. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. 1183p.

Small, J.K. 1933. Manual of the southeastern flora. New York, NY: Hafner Publishing Company. 1505p.

USFWS. 1986. Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia) recovery plan. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 42p.

Ward, D.B. 1979. Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida Volume 5: Plants. Gainseville, FL: University Presses of Florida.

Wunderlin, R.P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. 806p.

Books (Sections)

Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland. In: Kartesz, J.T.; Meacham, C.A., editors. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden. Chapel Hill, NC.

Niering, W.A. 1988. Endangered, Threatened, and Rare Wetland Plants and Animals of the Continental United States. In: Hook, D.D.; McKee, W.H.; Smith, H.K.; Gregory, J.; Burrell, V.G., Jr.; DeVoe, M.R.; Sojka, R.E.; Gilbert, S.; Banks, R.; Stolzy, L.H.; Brooks, C.; Matthews, T.D.; Shear, T.H., editors. The Ecology and Management of Wetlands. Timber Press. Portland, OR. p 592.

Schwartz, M. DRAFT Chapter 4. Assessing environmental change and the inception of fungal decline in Torreya taxifolia Arn. p 59-82.

Schwartz, M.; Hermann, S.M. 1995. Environmental Change and the Florida Torreya. In: U.S. Department of the Interior, editor. Our Living Resources. U.S. Government Printing. Washington, D.C. p 530.

Schwartz, M.; Hermann, S.M. 2000. Demography and Recovery of Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia) on the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. In: Gordon, D.R.; Slapcinsky, J.L., editors. Annual Research Report: A Compilation of Research Conducted or Supported by The Nature Conservancy in Florida. Florida Science and Stewardship Programs and The Nature Conservancy.

Conference Proceedings

Affolter, J.M.; Determan, R.; Streich, J. Safeguarding Torreya taxifolia. GPCA (Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance) Charter Meeting; March 11; The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens. 1997.

Esser, L.L. Torreya taxifolia. The Fire Effects Information System [Database]; Missoula, Montana. In: Fischer, W.C., compiler, editor. 1993. U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Intermountain Fire Sciences Laboratory. Unpublished.

Outline of the Torreya taxifolia safeguarding project. GPCA (Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance) Torreya committee meeting; June 28; Callaway Gardens.

Electronic Sources

(2002). Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants. [Web site] University of South Florida Institute for Systematic Botany. http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/isb/default.htm. Accessed: 2008.

(2002). Research Project 1: Safeguarding Torreya taxifolia. [Web site] Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance. http://www.uga.edu/gpca/Project1.html. Accessed: 2002.

USGS. (2002). Status of Listed Species and Recovery Plan Development. [Web site] USGS: Norther Prairie Wildlife Research Center. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/others/recoprog/plant.htm. Accessed: 2002.

Vaughan, E. (2001). Restoration of longleaf pine and wiregrass at the Apalachicola Bluffs Preserve (Florida) in Volume 7- Fall 2001: Lessons Learned From Long-Term Restorations. Restoration and Reclamation Review, Student On-Line Journal (Hort 5015/5071). University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. http://www.hort.agri.umn.edu/h5015/rrr.htm. Accessed: 2002.

Journal Articles

1994. Torreya taxifolia Progress. Torreya taxifolia Newsletter. 1, 2

1996. Rarest U.S. tree under fungus attack. Science News. 149

1997. News from the Fuqua Conservatory: Leaving the Nest. Clippings - Atlantic Botanical Garden. 3 pp.

1997. Plants in the Wrong Place: Rare US Conifer Returns to the Wild. Plant Talk. 10: 17.

Affolter, J.M. 1999-2000. The Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance. GPCAnews (Newsletter of the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance). 2: 1, 8.

Alfieri, S.A. Jr.; Martinez, A.P.; Wehlburg, C. 1967. Stem and needle blight of Florida Torreya, Torreya taxifolia Arn. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society. 80: 428-431.

Bailo, B.G.; Nicholson, R.G.; Determan, R.; Sojkowski, S. 1998. The ex situ conservation of stinking cedar. Public Garden: The Journal of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. 13, 3: 9-11.

Bruno, H. 1997. GPCA Research Update: Safeguarding Torreya taxifolia. UpDate Plant Conservation Program.

Bruno, H. 1998. Safeguarding Torreya taxifolia. GPCA (Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance) news. No. 1: 2.

Godfrey, R.K.; Kurz, H. 1962. The Florida torreya destined for extinction. Science. 136: 900-902.

Groves, M. 1999. Update on the Recovery of Torreya taxifolia. GPCAnews (Newsletter of the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance). 2 pp.

Koehn, A.C.; Doudrick, R.L. 1999. Diurnal patterns of chlorophyll fluorescence and CO2 fixation in orchard grown Torreya taxifolia (Arn.). Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 126, 2: 93-98.

Kurz, H. 1938. Torreya west of the Apalachicola River. Proceedings of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 3: 66-77.

Lee, J.C.; Yang, X.S.; Schwartz, M.; Strobel, G.; Clardy, J. 1995. The Relationship Between an Endangered North American Tree and an Endophytic Fungus. Chemistry & Biology. 2, 11: 721-727.

McMahan, L.R. 1989. Conservationists Join Forces to Save Florida Torreya. The Center for Plant Conservation. 4, 1: 1, 8.

Morse, L.E. 1988. Rare Plant Protection, Conservancy Style. On the Fringe; Journal of the Ohio Native Plant Society. 6, 4: 5-10.

Nicholson, R. 1990. Chasing ghosts: the steep ravines along Florida's Apalachicola River hide the last survivors of a dying tree species (Torreya taxifolia). Natural History. 8.

Nicholson, R. 1993. Rooting Torreya taxifolia, an endangered conifer of the Florida panhandle. Magazine of Botanic Gardens Conservation Internation. 2, 2

Nourse, H.; Nourse, C. 1998. Peach of a partnership (Plant Conservation Alliance, Georgia). American Gardener. 77, 4: 41-5.

Savage, T. 1983. A Georgia station for Torreya taxifolia Arn. survives. Florida Scientist. 46: 62-64.

Schwartz, M.W. 1993. Allozyme Variation of the Endangered Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia). Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 23, 12: 2598-2602.

Schwartz, M.W.; Herman, S. 1991. The role of fire suppression in the catastrophic decline of the endangered conifer, Torreya taxifolia. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America (Supplement). 72, 244

Schwartz, M.W.; Hermann, S.M. 1993. The Continuing Population Decline of Torreya taxifolia Arn. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 120, 3: 275-286.

Schwartz, M.W.; Hermann, S.M. 1999. Is slow growth of the endangered Torreya taxifolia (Arn.) normal?. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 126, 4: 307-312.

Schwartz, M.W.; Hermann, S.M.; Van Mantgem, P.J. 2000. Estimating the magnitude of decline of the Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia Arn.). Biological Conservation. 95, 1: 77-84.

Schwartz, M.W.; Hermann, S.M.; Van Mantgem, P.J. 2000. Population persistence in Florida torreya: Comparing modeled projections of a declining coniferous tree. Conservation Biology. 14, 4: 1023-1033.

Schwartz, M.W.; Hermann, S.M.; Vogel, C.S. 1995. The Catastrophic Loss of Torreya taxifolia - Assessing Environmental Induction of Disease Hypotheses. Ecological Applications. 5, 2: 501-516.

Schwartz, M.W.; Porter, D.J.; Hermann, S.M.; Strobel, G. 1996. Occurrence of Pestalotiopsis microspora on Torreya taxifolia in Florida. Plant Disease. 80, 5: 600.

Sletto, J.W. 1991. Plants in Peril. Outdoor America. 21-24.

Stalter, R.; Dial, S. 1984. Environmental status of the stinking cedar, Torreya taxifolia. Bartonia. 50: 40-42.

USFWS. 1976. Proposed Endangered Status for 1700 U.S. Plants. Federal Register. 41: 24523-24572.

USFWS. 1983. Proposal to Determine Torreya taxifolia (Florida torreya) as an Endangered Species. Federal Register. 48, 68: 15168-15171.

USFWS. 1983. Rulemaking Actions--Disease Threatenes Tree; Endangered Status Proposed. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 8, 5: 5.

USFWS. 1984. Evergreen Tree Listed as Endangered. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 9, 2: 4-5.

USFWS. 1984. Final Rule to Determine Torreya taxifolia (Florida torreya) to be an Endangered Species. Federal Register. 49, 15: 2783-2786.

USFWS. 1985. Regional News--Region 4. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 10, 8: 7.

Van Parys, S. 2000. Conservatory-propagated plants for spring plant sale. Clippings Atlanta Botanical Garden. 5 pp.

Magazine Articles

Nemeck, S. 1996. Rescuing an Endangered Tree. Scientific American: 274. 3. 22.

TNC. 1991. Taxol Update. The Nature Conservancy Magazine:

Personal Communications

Hermann, S.M.; Schwartz, M. May 15, 1995. Update on Torreya taxifolia Status and Research. Fax sent to Ms. Tammera Race, Tallahassee, Fl, on May 15. Fax.

Martin, D. Feburary 10, 1993. Concerning the future of Torreya taxifolia. To Olwell, P. United States Department of the Interior.

McMahan, L.R. January 30, 1989. CPC project to help conserve the Florida torreya. Letter to Eno, Amos.

Schwartz, M. October 28, 1994. Summary of a meeting held October 24-25 at the Apalachicola Bluffs Preserve regarding potential research activities during the upcoming year. Letter. UC Davis, Center for Population Biology.

Reports

Baker, W.W. 1985. Endangered species information system species workbook: Torreya taxifolia. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Hermann, S.M.; Schwartz, M.W. 1997. Studies on the Population Biology and Pathogens of Torreya taxifolia Arn. With Appendix A (The Florida torreya [Torreya taxifolia Arn.] not destined for extinction yet). Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Division of Forestry: Statewide Endangered and Threatened Plant Conservation Program.

Kral, R. 1983. A report on some rare, threatened, or endangered forest-related vascular plants of the South, Technical Publication R8-TP2. Athens, GA.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service. p.1305.

Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized): Agriculture Handbook No. 541. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Forest Service. p.375.

Nicholson, R.G. 1987. Propagation of some woody endemics of eastern North America. Jamaica Plain, MA: Arnold Arboretum. p.12. Notes from a talk given by author in 1987.

Price, R.A. 1996. Relationships of the Florida Torreya. Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Division of Forestry: Statewide Endangered and Threatened Plant Conservation Program.

Price, R.A. Not dated (1998). Final Report to the Florida Division of Forestry, Plant Conservation Program; Relationships of the Florida Yew (Taxus floridana, Taxaceae) Torreya taxifolia. Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Division of Forestry: Statewide Endangered and Threatened Plant Conservation Program.

Reinsmith, W.H. 1934. Exploring for Torreya trees in the Apalachicola bluff country. Tallahassee: Florida Forest Service.

Robbins, Louise; Hardin, D. Element Stewardship Abstract for Torreya taxifolia. Tallahassee, FL: Florida Natural Areas Inventory. p.5.

Schwartz, M.; Hermann, S.M. 1993. The Population Ecology of Torreya taxifolia: Habitat Evaluation, Fire Ecology, and Genetic Variability. Tallahassee, FL: Nongame Wildlife Program, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. p.76. Final Report.

Schwartz, M.W.; Hermann, S.M. 1995. Our Living Resources. Plants: Environmental Change and the Florida Torreya. Lafayette, LA: National Biological Service. p.page 205.

Southeastern Wildlife Services, Inc. 1982. A distribution survey of the populations of Taxus floridana and Torreya taxifolia in Florida. A report to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Theses

Barnes, Lee Roy, Jr. 1985. Clonal Propagation of Endangered Native Plants Rhododendron chapmanii Gray, Taxus floridana Nutt., and Torreya taxifolia Arn. [Ph.D. Thesis]: University of Florida. 85p.

Lee, Julie Chu-Li. 1995. Isolation and Structure Determination of Bioactive Compounds from Endophytic and Insect-associated Fungi. [Ph.D. Thesis]: Cornell University. 196p.

Li, Ning. 1997. Spectroscopy of Biophysical, Phusiological and Pathological Responses of Plant Germplasm. [Ph.D. Thesis]: Oregon State University. 272p.

Schwartz, Mark William. 1990. Conserving Forest Diversity in Northern Florida: From Landscapes to Populations. [Ph.D.]: The Florida State University. 181p.

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This profile was updated on 5/26/2010