Holly, Yew and Box 



general outline, with a very long, acuminate, spiny 

 point which is generally decurved, and a few 

 (about two or three) marginal spines, which are 

 broad and elongated, commonly deflexed but 

 sometimes erect, occasionally hooked backwards 

 with a rounded shoulder, and altogether so 

 various in form and so misshapen as to have quite 

 a grotesque appearance. The colour is a very 

 deep glossy green, and the texture is leathery, 

 with a thickened margin, while the whole blade 

 of the leaf is in some instances slightly twisted. 

 Sometimes the margin is merely wavy without 

 spines, save the long terminal one, and the 

 quadrate general outline of the leaf is then more 

 strongly marked. Its appearance suggests that 

 it originated as a sport from crispa. A form is 

 known under the name of major; this has larger 

 leaves than the type 



I A. monstrosa. This is a well-marked 

 variety, evidently allied to latispina, with which 

 it is sometimes confounded, and also to trapezi- 

 formis, but differing in the constantly numerous 

 spines, which are usually few in the varieties just 

 mentioned. The bark of the young shoots is 

 green or purple, or sometimes greenish purple ; 

 and the leaves, which are about 2j inches long 

 and i inch broad (not measuring the spines), are 

 of an oblong outline, much acuminated, of a dark 

 green colour, with numerous strongly developed 

 spines at the margin, most of them being directed 



88 



