THE DICOTYLEDONES 



1807 



of pegs and spindles and produces good charcoal. E. japonicus, commonly 

 grown in gardens, is an evergreen hardy shrub with oval, glossy leaves. 

 A few other species of the genus are lianas. Eiionymus europaeiis is the 

 winter home of certain species of black aphids which in summer attack 

 sugar beet, and energetic attempts are being made to eradicate spindle 

 trees from Britain on this account. 



The Aquifoliaceae are another small family with five genera and 300 

 species, which are widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions 

 (Fig. 1702). They are mostly shrubs and trees with leathery, alternate 

 leaves and unisexual flowers which are generally tetramerous. The chief 



Fig. 1702. — Distribution of Ilex aqidfoliuiu. 



genus is Ilex. I. aqiiifolium (Fig. 1703) is the Holly, and occurs wild in 

 Britain. The plants are monoecious, but in the female flowers the sterile 

 stamens are often so large that the flowers appear to be hermaphrodite. 

 /. paraguensis is a South American species whose leaves and twigs are used 

 in the preparation of Mate, which is used in South America as a beverage in 

 the same way as tea. It is imported on a small scale into this country. 



The two other genera of the family are Nemopanthus with one species in 

 the eastern mountains of North America and Phelline with twelve species 

 in New Caledonia. 



The Staphyleaceae are a small family, containing six genera and only 

 twenty species, which may be mentioned on account of Staphylea pinnata 

 (Fig. 1704), a small tree or large shrub commonly cultivated in gardens 

 because of its panicles of fragrant white flowers, which are produced early 

 in the spring. These flowers are pentamerous with a trilocular ovary. The 

 fruit is a soft, inflated capsule. 



2B 



