76 ILICINE^. 



Distributed in the tropics chiefly, of Central and South 

 America, Asia, Africa, Australia ; and one species, the common 

 Holly in Europe. 

 Leaves nearly or quite entire ; female flowers in small 



umbels . . I. wightiana. 



Leaves serrate, often very thick ; pedicels of the female flowers 



springing direct from the branch . . . . L denticulata. 



Ilex denticulata Wall. ; F.B.L i 6oo, I /. A tree, often 

 very large with thick spreading branches. Leaves 2j^ 

 to 3 inches, serrate elliptic or elliptic oblong acute or 

 obtusely acuminate, when mature thick and very tough 

 when dry. Male flowers in small branched cymose 

 panicles up to % inch long, in the leaf-axils, with minute 

 bracts. Calyx with four or five triangular teeth. Petals 

 four or five in the same cyme, nearly free imbricate 

 white, round, % inch across. Stamens as many, with 

 very short filament and thick anther, 1/20 inch. 

 Female flowers pedicelled in axillary fascicles. Petals 

 free. Stamens often with long filaments persistent till 

 the fruit ripe, their anthers (?) sterile. Ovary four-celled 

 Fruit the size of a pea, with four stones. Wight 111. t. 

 142. 



In sholas quite common especially on the Nilgiri downs 

 from Ootacamundto Pykara. Fysoniii'^* 1894,* 2000, 2399, 

 3007. Bourne. 



Gen, Dist. South India and Ceylon. 



Ilex wightiana Wall ; F.B.L i 603, 1 16. Flowering 

 as a small but growing to a very large tree, with branches 

 numerous and sloping steeply upwards; bark grey, 

 lenticelled. Leaves 2 by l inch or less, elliptic, acute or 

 not, entire or with a few small teeth near the end ; 

 stalks reddish, and young blades red and erect. Flowers 

 white, % io Ye inch across fascicled or in peduncled 

 cymes or compound cymes ; sometimes few only, some- 

 times many together; peduncles and pedicels 5^ inch 

 red. Petals four, six to obtuse, united at the base. 



