Ilex opaca, 
THE AMERICAN HOLLY. 
Synonymes. 
Ilex opaca, 
Houx de l'Amerique, 
Amerikanischer Stechpalmenbaum, 
Agrifoglio a foglio di quercia, 
Agrifolio americano, 
American Holly, 
' Aiton, Hortus Kewensis. 
De Candolle, Prodromus. 
- Michaux, North American Sylva. 
Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum. 
( Torrey and Gray, Flora of North America 
France. 
Germany. 
Italy. 
Spain and Portugal. 
Britain and Anglo-America. 
Derivation. The specific name, opaca, is derived from the Latin opacus, thick, bushy, as if giving shade. 
Engravings. Michaux, North American Sylva, pi. 84; Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum, v., pi. 66; and the figures beiow. 
vecific Characters. Leaves ovate, flat, coriaceous, acute, toothed in a scolloped manner, spiny, and gla 
brous, but not glossy. Flowers scattered at the base of only those branches that are a year old. Teeth 
of the calyx acute. Sexes dioecious. De Candolle, Prodromus. 
trunk 
eight, 
Description. 
Ilex opaca is a beau- 
tiful evergreen tree, some- 
times growing to the 
height of eighty feet, with 
four feet in diameter; but its ordinary 
in favourable situations, is not more than 
lirty or forty feet, with a diameter of twelve or J 
fteen inches ; and near its northernmost limits 
; is seldom found to exceed ten feet in height. 
1 he bark of the trunks of old trees is smooth, and 
f a whitish-gray ; but on the young shoots and 
ranches it is green and shining. The leaves are 
vate, acute, spinous, glabrous, and flat ; and are 
f a light-green colour. The flowers, which ap- 
ear in the months of May and June, are whitish, 
ut not conspicuous, and are succeeded by hand- 
ome, round, scarlet berries, that remain long 
ttached to the branches, often during the winter. 
Varieties. The only distinct variety of this species is the Ilex opaca laxi- 
r olia, which is found in Carolina, with loose, whitish flowers, and yellowish-red 
erries. The following variations, however, are mentioned by Loudon, on the 
uthority of Rafinesque, but it may be questioned whether they were not mostly 
educed from leaves of trees of different ages, or in the early period of their 
rowth : 
Long-toothed-leaved variety. 
Broad-leaved variety. 
Sharp -pointed-leaved variety. 
Round-leaved variety. 
Geography and History. The northernmost limits of this species may be con- 
idered as duincy and Cohasset, in Massachusetts; and it is found more or less 
1. 
I. 
o. 
MACRODON. 
2. 
I. 
0. 
LATIFOLIA. 
3. 
I. 
0. 
ACUMINATA 
4. 
I. 
0. 
GLOBOSA. 
