S'Rmos, LXXIX. AaUIFOLIACEiE. S&l 



Order LXXIX. AQUIFOLIACEiE.— Hollyworts. 



Shrubs or trees, with evergreen, alternate or opposite, simple, coriaceous, exstipulate leaves, 



FYs. sir.iili, wl.ite or greenisii, axillary, solitary orclustered, sometinies dicecious. 



Cat.— Sepaim — 5, imbricate in estivation. 



■Cor. repular, 4— S-cleft or parted, hyi'OgyBous, imbricate in ■aestivation. 



■Sta. inserted into the tube of the corolla and alternate "with its segments. Anth. adnate. 



■Ova. free from the calys, 2 — S-celled, with a. soJitary, suspended ovule in each cell. 



Fr. drupaceous, with 2 — 6 stones or nuctiles. Albumen large, fleshy. 



Genera II, species 110, natives of America and S. Africa, only one, Ilex (the Holly), being found in 

 Europe. 



Properties.— The bark and leaves of Prinos -verticiliatus (Wack aider) are eminently astringent and 

 tonic, as well as those ofthe holly. The berries are emetic and purgative. Ttoe leaves of Prinos glaber, 

 and Ilex Paraguensis are used tor tea. 



Conspectus of t}ie Genera. 



s Petals united, mostly hexamerous prinos. 3 



4 unarmed. ^Petal3 distinct, mostly pentameroRS. NemopuntfKiS.ii 



Leaves l spinose, evergreen, coriaeeotis. U&c. t 



1. ILEX. 



The ancient Lat. name ofthe Holm Oak, the derivation uncertain. 



Calyx 4 — 5-iootlied, persistent ; 'corolla subrotate, 4 — 5-parted ; 

 stamens 4 — 5 ; stigmas 4 — 5, subsessile, united or distinct ; berry 

 4 — 5-seeded. — Shrubs and trees. Lvs. alternate ami spinose-dentate. 

 Fls. often 3"^ by abortion. 



I. OPACA. 



Lvs. evergreen, oval, acute at end, with strong, spinous teeth, coriaceous, 

 smooth and shining-; fascicles of jts. lax, peduncles compound; cnl. teeth acute | 

 fr. ovate ; fs. small, greenish-white. — A tree of middle size, quite generally dif- 

 fused throughout the U. S. ti-oni Mass. ! to La. It is chiefly interesting for its 

 foliage, which is of an exceedingly rich, shining, pereimial green. The flower.s 

 appear in June, in scattered clusters at the l>ase of the older branches, and the 

 fertile ones are succeeded by red berries which remain until late in autumn. 

 The wood is fine grained and compact, useful in turnery, &c. 



2. NEMOPANTHUS. Raf. 



Gr. vri/na, thread, novi, foot-stalk, aj/5of ; that is, a floweron afilitbrm peihinde. 



Calyx minute ; petals 5, distinct, linear, oblong ; stamens 5 ; ovary 

 liemispherical ; stigmas 3 — 4, sessile ; fruit a 3 — 4-celled, subglobose 

 berry. — Shrub, ivith aUerrMte, enti)-e, decidumis leaves. Fls. tnostly 

 dicecio-polygOAnous by abmiion. 



N. Canadensis. Raf. (Ilex. Michx.) Canadian Holly. 



lyvs. deciduous, oval, very entire, smooth, mucronate-pointed ; ped. nearly 

 solitary, very long; //•. somewhat 4-sided. — A shrub, 4 — 6f high, with smooth 

 branches, growing in damp or rocky woods, Can., N. Eng. ! to Mich. Leaves 

 oval or ovate-oblong, about 2' long, en petioles J as long. The flowers, grow- 

 ing on long, slender, axillary peduncles which are seldom divided, are small, 

 greenish-white. Segments of the corolla acute, long as the stamens. Ovary 

 ofthe barren flowers pointed, ofthe lertile with a 4-lcbed stigma. Benries dr}^ 

 red. May, June, 



3. PRINOS. 

 Gr. npiM, to saw; alluding to the serrated leaves. 



Flowers often c? 9 or c? ? 9 ; calyx mostly 6-cleft ; cor. 6-parted ; 

 sta. 4 — 6 ; berry roundish, much longer than the calyx ; seeds bony, 

 convex on one side, angular on the other. — Shrubs. Lvs. alternate. 

 Pedicels axillary.^ l-floiccred. 



1. P. VERTiciLLATCs. (P. Gronovii. Mic/i.r.) Winter Berry. Black Alder. 



Lvs. deciduous, oval, .serrate, acuminate, pubescent beneath; fl.s. axillary, 

 the fertile ones aggregate, the barren subumbellate. — This shrub is found in 

 moist woods or swamps. Can. and most of the States, usually growing about 



