Prinos. LXXIX. AaUlFOUACEiE. 'S8i 



Order LXXIX. AQIJlFOLTACEiE.— Hollyworts. 



Shrubs or trees, with i-vergreen, nllernate or opposite, ninoiilt-, corianeouH, exntipulale leaves. 



Fla. small, white or t'recnish, uxiilury, solitury orclustercd, somelioies dia-ciouu. 



Cal. — Sepnls4— 6, imbricate in ii'stivutioii. 



Cor. repulur. 4— e-ciefi or purteii, hypoiryiioiis, imhrirjitc in a-slivution. 



Sta. inserted into the tube of the corolla and alternate wilh iln .se(,'menls. Anth. adnatc. 



Ova. free from the ealyx, •2— ficelled, with a oolitiiry, sunpended ovule in each cell. 



Fr. drupaceous, witli -J— 6 stones or nucules. Albumen large, (leshy. 



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

 Europe. 



Properties.— The bark and leaves of Prino.s verticillaliw (black alder) are eminently astringent and 

 tonic, as well a.s those of the holly. The berries are emetic and purgative. The leaves of Prinos glaber, 

 and Ilex Paragucnsis ore u.sed for tea. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 



< Petals united, mostly hexamerou.s Prinos. 3 



^inarmed. ^Petals distinct, mostly pentamerous. I^emopantnus.U 



Leaves ispinose, evergreen, coriaceous. Rex. 1 



1. ILEX. 



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



Calyx 4 — 5-tootlied, 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 and spinose-dentate. 

 Fls. often cC 9 by abortion. 



I. OPACA, 



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

 smooth and .shining; fascicles of Jls. lax, peduncles compound; cal. teeth acute; 

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

 "fused throughout the tJ. S. from Mass. ! to La. It is chiefly interesting for its 

 foliage, which is of an exceedingly rich, shining, perennial green. The flowers 

 appear in Jime, in scattered clusters at the base of the older branches, and the 

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

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



2. NEMOPANTHUS. Raf. 



Gr. vrina, thread, novs, Ibot-slalk, aj^^oj ; that is, a ftoweron a fdiform peduncle. 



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

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

 berry. — Shrub, u-ith alternate., entire^ deciduous leaves. Fls. mostly 

 diaecio-polygo.mous by abortion. 



N. Canadensis. Raf. (Ilex. Michx.) ' Canadian HoUt/. 



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

 solitary, very long; fr. .somewhat 4-sided. — A shrub, 4 — 6i' high, with smooth 

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

 oval or ovate-oblong, about 2' long, on petioles i 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 

 of the barren flowers pointed, of the fertile with a 4-lobed stigma. Berries dry, 

 red. May, June. 



3. PRINOS. 



Gr. irpio), to saw ; alluding' to the serrated leaves. 



Flowers often cT 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., \-flowered. 



1. P. VERTiciLLATUS. (P. Gronovii. Michx.) Winter Berry. Black Alder. 



Lvs. deciduous, oval, .'^errate, acuminate, pubescent beneath; fls. 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 



