104 



SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. 



ILICINE^. 



hundred aud seventy-five species are now recognized/ the lieadquarters of the genus, as represented by 

 the largest number of species, being in Brazil and Guiana," where sixty-seven are known. The moun- 

 tain regions of western South America contain at least ten species ; ^ seven have been distinguished in 

 southern Mexico and Central America/ and ten in the "West Indies ; ^ while in eastern North America 

 there are thirteen or perhaps fourteen species'' of which foiu- are small trees. The genus is, therefore, 

 nearly two thirds American. The flora of Europe contains a single species of Ilex j the Canary Islands 

 and Madeira possess three species ; ^ one is south African,^ and one is found on the island of Madagas- 

 car.® Twenty-four species grow in India ; ^^ t^'enty-eight or thirty are already known in China and 

 Japan ; ^^ three species have been found in the islands of the Indian Archipelago,^' and two in Poly- 



nesia. 



]3 



In the early Tertiary period Ilex existed in the Arctic regions ^* M'ith several forms, among them Ilex 

 spinescens, in which Saporta finds the probable remote ancestor of the existing European species and of 

 the spiny-leaved HoUy of North America/^ and Ilex stenoiyliyUa,^'^ which is reproduced in Ilex Cassine 

 of the southern United States. The genus had several representatives at this 2>eriod in western North 

 America, whence it has now disappeared.^'^ 



Ilex contains a bitter principle, Ihcine, combined with glutinous matter and an aromatic resin, and 

 possesses tonic, and sometimes diuretic, diaphoretic, and emetic properties. Hex Paraguariensis,^^ a tree 

 widely distributed from Brazil to Paraguay, furnishes the mate or Paraguay tea of the South Ameri- 

 cans, and is the most useful species to man. The leaves of the European HoUy were formerly sometimes 

 used as a febrifuge ; ^^ the fruit is purgative and emetic j bii-d-lime is prepared from the inner bark,-° and 

 the hard close-grained white wood is used in turnery and cabinet-making. The European Holly has been 

 a favorite garden plant for centuries, and innumerable varieties, with variously shaped and curiously 

 variegated leaves and with abnormally colored fruit, have been produced and are esteemed by European 

 gardeners.^^ The Holly is also a favorite hedge plant.^ Branches of Holly were sent by the Romans to 

 theh friends as emblems of good-will at the festival of the Saturnalia. The early Christians of Rome 

 used them to decorate their places of worship,^ and this custom still prevails in Europe and in America, 

 where bunches of the native HoUies are now in great demand for Christmas decoration. The shi'ubby 



1 Maximowiez, Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Pe'tersbourg, ser. 7, xxis. 18. 

 = Reissek, Martius Fi. Brasil. -a. 1, 39, t. 12-21.— Maximowiez, 

 I. c. 25. 



s Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth, Nov. Spec, et Gen. yii. 70. 

 ^ Hemsley, Bot. Biol. Am. Cent. i. 180. 

 6 Grisebaeh, Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 146. — Maximomez, t c. 27. 

 ^ Trelease, Tram. St. Louis Acad. Sci. v. 345. 

 T Barker-Webb & Berthelot, Pkytogr. Canar. ii. 135, t. 68, 69. 

 E Harvey & Sonder, Fl. Cap. i. 473. 

 3 Tulasne, Ann. Sci. Nat. viii. 111. 

 10 Hooker f . Fl. Brit. Ind. i. 598. — Maximowicz, I c. 24. 

 " Franchet & Savatier, Enum. PL Jap. i. 7G. — Maximowicz, 

 I. c. 32. — Forbes & Hemsley, Jour. Linn. Soc. xxiii. 115. 



12 Miquel, FL Ind. BaU u. 594. 



13 Gray, BoL N. Pacific Explor. Exped. i. 295, t. 25. — Maximo- 

 wicz, L c. 23. 



" Heer, FL Foss. Arct. vi. ; FL d. AtanescUcM. 97, t. 27, f . 1, a ; 

 GrSnland. 15, t. 6, f . 6. 



" Origine Pak'ontologique des Arbres, 289. 

 1^ Saporta, I. c. 



1^ Lesquercux, Contrih. Foss. FL WesL Territ. ii. Tertiary, 270, t. 

 50, f. 1-9 (Hayden's Rep. vii. 1878). 



IS St. Hilaire, Mem. Mus. ix. 351. — D. Don, Lambert Pin. ii. 

 Appx. t. 4. — Reissek, Martius FL BrasiL xi. 1, 162, t. 13, f . 15 • t 

 19, 20. 



The leaves of Ilex Paraguariensis, whicli contain a principle 

 identical with the caffeine of tea and coffee, are stripped from the 

 trees once in every two or three j'ears during the summer mouths, 

 that hj from Pecemher to August. As fast as gathered they are 

 dried over slow fires, and are then reduced to powder and carefully 

 protected from moisture during the seasoning poriodj which some- 

 times lasts for several months. The powder is then packed in sacks 

 and is ready for use. It has a bitter taste and a balsamic odor, and 

 is used in the form of an infusion, which has a pleasant stimulating 

 effect on the human stomach* Matt^ has wonderful power in in- 

 creasing the ability of the human frame to endure sustained phys- 

 ical effort ; but the habit of using it being once acquired is not 

 easily given up, and taken in excess mat^ produces the same phys- 

 ical and mental derangements which follow the excessive use of alco- 

 hol, (Hooker, London Jour, BoL i. 30, t. 1-3. — Lindley, Treasury 

 of Botany y ii. G18. — AVittstein, Viertcljahresschri/l, xvi. 167» — Gui- 

 bourt, Hist. Drorj, ed. 7, iii, 544.— £7. 5. Disj)ens. ed. 14, 1G70. — 

 Naudin, Manuel de I'Acdimateur, 315.) 



^« Lindley, FL Med. 393. — Guibourt, Hist. Drag. ed. 7, iii. 543. 

 — U, S. ni^pens. ed. 14, G70. 



^0 Evelyn, Siha, ed. Hunter, i. 2G8. 



"^ Loudon, Arh. BriL ii, 500. —Nicholson, Diet. Card, 



^^ Loudon, /. c. 509. 



23 Loudon, ;. c. 51L 



