The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-29
DID NOAH BUILD
HIS ARK IN FLORIDA
Specimens of an Unusual Tree in
Liberty County Causes a Dispute
Among Scientists

Liberty County Causes a Dispute
Among Scientists
Tallahassee, Aug. 29.-Noah may
have built the ark of gopher wood"
as the Lord commanded him to do, and
the rare trees in swamp in Liberty
county may be specimens of this
gopher wood" but if they are the
United States forest service doesn't
know lit.
Florida newspapers several weeks
ago published stories concerning the
renewal of interest in a grove of
strange trees in the swamp which had
been discovered sope years ago by DR..
A. W. Chapman. of Apalachicola, a
noted botanist. who after exhaustive
investigation was said to have 'identi-
fed" them az gopher wood" and to
have pronou ced the wood the same
material CT which the ark was con-
structed. 1t also was stated that the
tree was Known to only two localities
in the world. Palestine and small
section OF West Florida.
Persons familiar with the fact that
the gopher wood of which the ark
was supposed to have been built never
had been identified positively, sent to
the forest service, and other authori-
ties, twigs from the trees with a re-
quest that they be classified. if pos
sible.
The forest report follows:
1.-THE specimen sent for identified
ton is now technically known as
Tunion taxifolium (Arnott) Greene
It's various common names include
Florida Torreya. Sinking Cedar, Sa-
vim, Torrey Tree, Sinking Savin and
Fetid Few (of English literature). II
was first described botanically ir
1888 as Torreya taxifolium Arnott, 8
name by which it was known to bota.
nists until 1891 when it was discover.
ed that the genus Tumicon of Refnes
que was the proper group in which tt
place this species. From then on i
is correctly known to botanists a:
Tumion taxifolium.
This tree is supposed to have beer
discovered in Florida by FL. B. Groom
in 1888, being technically described
five years later. H. B. Groom was {
native of Lenoir county, N. c., anC
vo,,bI;rLa5 A. ,1,o.;aax Tk,,,xol -
Science in 1888 and 1884. dying il
1886 Mr.. Groom was lawyer b!
profession, but having large cottol
plantation in North Carolina ant
much leisure he later became interest
ed inwestern Florida. where he be
came greatly interested in western
Florida plants. He found Tumiol
taxifolium on the bluffs of the Apa
lachicola river beside the town of As
palaga. So far as is now known thi
tree occurs on the eastern bank of tn
Apalachicola river from River juno
ton TO the neighborhood of Bristol, il
Liberty county.
into England in 1910 by A. Downing
the famous landscape gardener. Their
is no evidence now that this tree i
successfully grown in England, Their
being no living plants there that ar
at all like the Florida tree. Variou
attempts have been made in the east
: ern United States to grow this tire,
and in some few instances it has bee
kept alive for term of years in east
ern Massachusetts, in sheltered situs
tons and also for number of year
in the vicinity of New York and Phi
a delphia Clearly, however, it is NJ
suited to the climate of these nortl
ern states.
.Dr. A. W Chapman did not dii
cover Tumion taxifolium and he new,
know its real discovered, Arnott, WI
gave the tree its first binomial techn
cal name, Torreya taxifolium. D
Ghapman's first account of it appea
in the first edition of his Flora of Il
Southern United States, which w
published in 1860. He speaks of
as growing in rich soil along the ca
bank of the Apalachicola river, midd
Florida.
aWhat wood was used by Noah
the construction of his famous ark