This specimen is on the west side of the Evans property on an east-facing moist slope of a ravine that has a perennial creek running N-S through it. Twenty feet upstream of this "Maxilla" specimen is an intermittent springs/falls, which streams down some vertical bare rock walls and empties directly into the creek. (3,400 feet elevation)
LEFT (May 18, 2012): A lot of hydrangia and other moisture-loving deciduous plants thrive in this micro-habitat near the intermittent waterfall.
RIGHT (May 18, 2012): This specimen has both apical and lateral new growth, which appears light green. On a scale in which "Celia" specimen is rated by Lee Barnes as a 10, this specimen is a 9.
ABOVE BOTH PHOTOS (May 18, 2012): Notice the deciduous magnolia (Umbrella magnolia?) The seeping rock wall is directly behind Lee Barnes. Maxilla's cremains were scattered in the forest above the weeping wall.
LEFT (May 18, 2012): In addition to the luxurient new top-canopy growth, this specimen is "hedging its bets" by ensuring that both of its small basal coppice stems have apical and lateral new growth, too.
RIGHT (May 18, 2012): Hydrangia, meadow rue, and Christmas fern are very evident in this photo. "Maxilla" is in lower left corner.
NOTE: Spring 2013 photos below taken April 24 on an overcast day, but spring was delayed nearly 2 weeks, so it is more like April 10. Thus, instead of light-green new growth photographed above in spring 2012, there is only light-green leaf buds to indicate the vigor of the plant.
ABOVE LEFT (April 24, 2013): "Maxilla" Torreya is just to the right of the bamboo stake in left foreground.
ABOVE RIGHT (April 24, 2013): An upslope view down onto Maxilla. Notice the large hydrangea shrub behind. An 8' tall deciduous (umbrella?) magnolia is just opening its leaf buds, 5 feet to the right of this photo.
ABOVE LEFT (April 24, 2013): Notice the top radial layer of branches has 6 parts. This plant tends to put out the radial branches in 6 parts (in contrast to "Celia" Torreya, which always puts out just 4).
ABOVE RIGHT (April 24, 2013): Notice that this plant achieved 3.75 inches of vertical stem growth (probably in 2011), and then produced the topmost tier of 6 lateral branches in 2012.
NEW MEASURE OF HEALTH IN 2013: leaf bud count = 58 on main stem; only 1 leaf bud on the ancillary basal stem. Note that while Celia specimen has 51 leaf buds on the main stem, Celia produces only 4 radial branches in each annual layer, instead of Maxilla's 6.
ABOVE (April 24, 2013): Trillium and hepatica growing near the Maxilla Torreya.
