XVI. 2. THE WILD HOLLY. 343 



pieces usually fifteen or sixteen inches long, and from one to 

 six inches thick. 



From the bark of the European species bird-lime is made ; 

 and the berries of our species, as well as of some others, have 

 emetic properties. 



The American holly has not been found farther north than 

 Massachusetts. By Michaux it had not been observed north 

 of Long Island. It is found in all the Southern States, and 

 westward as far as Tennessee. 



Seven or eight other species are also found growing in the 

 southern part of the United States. 



XVI. 2. WILD HOLLY. NEMOPANTHUS* Rafinesque. 



A genus of a single species, with sterile, fertile, and perfect 

 flowers on the same or on distinct plants ; a very minute, four 

 (or five) toothed calyx ; a corolla of four (or five) distinct, ob- 

 long-linear, fugacious petals; stamens four or five, longer than 

 the corolla and alternating with its petals ; ovary hemispherical, 

 with four cells ; style none, stigma four-lobed ; fruit a round, 

 four-seeded berry. 



The Wild Holly. Mountain Holly. N. Canadensis. Michaux. 



A beautiful, slender shrub, rising to the height of six or eight 

 feet, and in swamps sometimes to ten or twelve. The recent 

 shoots are purple or olive, with round, gray dots, which, after 

 the second year, are scarcely to be perceived. The larger 

 branches are greenish gray, growing darker and purplish, and 

 finally, on the older stems, covered with various, white, gray 

 and brown, membranous lichens. The leaves vary in shape, 

 from a short, broad oval, to oblong, and inversely lance-shaped, 

 tapering at the base, acute at the end, or rounded with an ab- 

 rupt point, very smooth and entire, or with a few distant serra- 



* Rafinesque ; in Silliman's Journal, proposes the name Nemopanthus, which, he 

 says, means "flower with a filiform peduncle," for this new genus. His name 

 should be retained, as he wrote it, if at all, and his generic description, which was 

 communicated in January, 1818, has priority to Prof. Dewey's, which was only sug- 

 gested, according to Prof. Eaton, in that year. — Eato?i's Manual, p. 403, note. 



