Florida
torreya, Torreya taxifolia, is a
federally and state listed endangered species that is found only in the Apalachicola
watershed from extreme southwest Georgia
into the Florida
panhandle.Florida yew, Taxus floridana, is another rare species that shares virtually the
same range and habitat.The endangered
species listing resulted from both the limited range and a disease that it
attacking Florida
torreya in its native range while those that are planted outside the range are
rarely if ever effected by the disease.Unfortunately the endangered species act prevents interstate commerce,
which would allow propagation to increase numbers similar to Franklin tree, Franklinia altahama, which is only know
from cultivation since being extinct in the wild for over two hundred years.
As noted in the heading Torreya also has the common name gopherwood, which is mentioned in the Bible as the wood Noah used to build the ark, but most authorities indicate that cypress, Cupressus sempervirens, is more likely to be the correct wood although it could have almost as easily been translated as square beams rather than a specific kind of wood similar to how the Alabama state tree used to be southern pine rather than southern longleaf pine, Pinus palustris Mill. which also happens to be historically important for making naval stores such as pitch.
