Holly, Yew and Box 



white flowers are borne in axillary cymes in May 

 and June, but the buds are very prominent the 

 previous autumn. When ripe, the fruits are deep 

 red, about f of an inch in diameter with stout 

 foot stalks J of an inch or so long, and are at 

 their best from October to February. During 

 the early stages of development the seeds are 

 deeply permeated with a reddish purple colour- 

 ing matter. As in the case of the "Common 

 Holly," isolated plants perfect but a small per- 

 centage of seeds though to all outward appear- 

 ances fruits and seeds are fully matured. The 

 plant known in gardens as I. platyphylla is a 

 female or fruit-bearing plant, whilst there are 

 other named varieties whose principal difference 

 lies in the fact of their producing male flowers 

 only. The difference between some varieties 

 depends to a large extent on the shining or dull 

 surface of the leaves and by the degree of spini- 

 ness. Seedlings differ somewhat in habit owing 

 no doubt to natural crossing, and some forms are 

 in commerce that it is difficult to ascribe to any 

 well marked variety, though they are not really 

 distinct enough for separate names. From seeds 

 collected from the large leaved varieties growing 

 away from " Common Holly " the difference 

 among the seedlings is not very pronounced. 



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