82 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 
The Holly has small flowers, and is usually self- 
pollinated, the stigmas being short and sessile, and 
the awl-shaped filaments overtop them. Holly is 
dicecious, with large sterile stamens in the female 
flower. 
The berries are eaten by birds and distributed at a 
distance from the parent tree. 
Pliny applied the name Ilex from the resemblance 
to the Holm Oak, and Holly is from Ulex, furze, 
holegn in the Anglo-Saxon. 
Several other names are given to this tree in 
different parts of the country, such as Aunt Mary’s 
Tree, Christmas, Crocodile, Tree Holly, He Holly, 
Helver, Hot Loud, She Holly, Holm, Hull, Hulver, 
Poison Berry, Prick Hollin, Sparked Holm. 
The spinose or spineless forms were named He and 
She Holly respectively. 
In Northumberland holly leaves were used for 
divining. It was planted near houses to ward off 
lightning as early as the days of Pliny. Because it 
resembles the word ‘“‘ holy” it was reputed to be 
inimical to witches. 
Holly wreathes were employed in Roman times at 
weddings. People used to cure their chilblains by 
threshing them with holly leaves. The bark has been 
used in place of cinchona, being highlyastringent. The 
Tunbridge Ware was made from holly wood, the 
wood being hard and white, suitable for inlay work. 
