98 



THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



reason is that, being so well repre- 

 sented out of doors, cultivators do 

 not care to make room for tliem, 

 when so many other subjects not at all 

 represented among hardy plants claim 

 attention. Of the stove species, 

 myrtifolia, the myrtle-leaved, Para- 

 guensis, the leaves of which are 

 used in Paraguay for tea, and sali- 

 cifolia, the willow-leaved, are the 

 chief. Mr. Forsyth has made a pet 

 subject of the Paraguay holly, and 

 from having seen how extensively 

 it is used for infusions, and in the 

 same way as the tea plant is in China 

 and this country, he feels persuaded 

 that a wholesome and stimulant tea 

 might be obtained from the leaves of 

 the common English holly. As we 

 cannot go into this question now, 

 we will not characterize Mr. Forsyth's 

 proposition as extravagant, let us 

 rather welcome every endeavour to 

 iitilize things that at present have no 

 value. The day may come when the 

 holly may be as acceptable in the 

 teapot as among the green boughs 

 that mingle in the joys of Christ- 



MADEIKAENSIS, 



mas. Of the greenhouse 

 kinds, angustifolius, Chinen- 

 sis, Magellanica, and Perado, 

 are the best, and the last- 

 named is the only one with 

 coloured flowers, which are 

 pink ; in all other species and 

 varieties the flowers are white, 

 and add but little to the 

 beauty of the trees. 



Among the hardy hollies, 

 aquifolium must have first 

 place, because of its import- 

 ance as a native timber tree. 

 But a collection of the best 

 hollies would include many 

 others besides this and its va- 

 rieties ; and perhaps Balea- 

 rica, the grand Minorca holly, 

 is, all things considered, the 

 finest, both for its broad, 

 shining, entire, rich green 

 leaves as for the glowing ver- 

 milion of its abundantly pro- 

 duced berries. Assuredly a 

 fine specimen of the Minorca 

 holly is worth pausing to 

 admire, during a walk over 



