PRINOS. LXXIX. AQUIFOLIACE. 381 
Orver LXXIX. AQUIFOLIACE &.—Hottyrworrs. 
Shrubs or trees, with evergreen, alternate or opposite, simple, coriaceous, exstipulate leaves. 
Fis. small, white or greenish, axillary, solitary.or clustered, sometimes dicecious. 
Cal.—Sepals 4—6, imbricate in wxstivation. 
Cor. regular, 4—6-cleft or parted, hypogynous, imbricate in estivation. 
Sta. inserted into the tube of the corolla and alternate with its segments. Anth. adnate. 
Ova. free from the calyx, 2—6-celled, with a solitary, suspended ovule in each cell. 
Fr. drupaceous, with 2—6 stones or nucules. Albwmen large, fleshy. 
is Genera 11, species 110, natives of America and S. Africa, only one, Ilex (the Holly), being found in 
urope. 
Properties.—The bark and leaves of Prinos verticillatus (black alder) are eminently astringent and 
tonic, as well as those of the holly. The berries are emetic and purgative. The leaves of Prinos glaber, 
and Ilex Paraguensis are used for tea. 
Conspectus of the Genera. 
ere united, mostly hexamerous. . 8  -.- . . «s + « Prines. 3 
§ unarmed. ? Petals distinct, mostly pentamerous. oe 0 6 « ~ « Nemopanthus.2 
Leaves ? spinose, evergreen, coriaceous. ee ee eee me creer ey Tc 1 
1. ILEX. 
The ancient Lat. name of the Holm Oak, the derivation uncertain. 
Calyx 4—5-toothed, 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. 
Fis. often SQ by abortion. 
I. opACA. 
Ivs. evergreen, oval, acute at end, with strong, spinous teeth, coriaceous, 
smooth and shining; fascicles of fils. lax, peduncles compound; cal. teeth acute; 
r. ovate; fils. small, greenish-white.—A tree of middle size, quite generally dif- 
fused throughout the U.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 June, in scattered clusters at the hase 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. vnpa, thread, 7ovs, foot-stalk, avSos ; that is, a flower on a filiform peduncle. 
Calyx minute ; petals 5, distinct, linear, oblong ; stamens 5; ovary 
hemispherical ; stigmas 3—4, sessile; fruit a 3—4-celled, subglobose 
berry.— Shrub, with alternate, entire, deciduous leaves. Fils. mostly 
diecio-polygamous by abortion. 
N. Canavensis. Raf. (Ilex. Michz.) Canadian Holly. 
Lvs. deciduous, oval, very entire, smooth, mucronate-pointed ; ped. nearly 
solitary, very long; fr. somewhat 4sided.—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, on petioles 3 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. zp.w, to saw; alluding to the serrated leaves. 
Flowers often 2 or 3% @ ; 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, 1-flowered. 
1, P. verTicILLAtus. (P. Gronovii. Michx.) Winter Berry. Black Alder. 
Lvs, deciduous, oval, serrate, acuminate, pubescent beneath; fis. 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 
< e  gee # 2 
