156. PRUNUS ILICIFOLIA ISLAY, HOLLY-LEAVED CHEEKY. 29 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood moderately heavy, hard, strong, 

 close-grained, very durable and susceptible of a smooth polish. It is 

 of a rich dark chocolate -brown color with olive-white sap-wood. 



USES. The wood of this tree is one of the most useful of the 

 numerous Acacias, and is highly prized in Australia for ship -building, 

 cabinet-making, gun-stocks, turned-work generally, and in fine for all 

 sorts of construction purposes. It is also valuable for fuel. The tree 

 is extensively grown in conservatories and for ornamental purposes, for 

 which latter use it was introduced into California. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES are not recorded of this species, though other 

 representatives of the genus are valuable on account of astringent 

 properties in the production of gum arabic, etc. 



NOTE. The great utility of the wood of this tree, its beauty, its 

 very rapid growth (for under ordinary conditions it will develop a 

 trunk eighteen inches in diameter in as many years) and its peculiar 

 adaptability to the soil and climate of southern California bespeak for 

 it a promising future, in that region at least. Few if any trees give 

 greater promise for forest planting. 



ORDER ROSACE2E: ROSE FAMILY. 



Leaves alternate and with stipules which sometimes fall early or are rarely 

 wanting. Flowers regular; sepals o or rarely fewer, united at the base and often 

 furnished outside with bracelets resembling the sepals; petals as many as the 

 sepals, or, rarely, wanting, distinct and inserted on a disk which lines the calyx- 

 tube: stamens distinct, numerous (with rare exceptions) and inserted with the 

 petals on the disk of the calyx-tube; pistils 1-many, distinct or united and often 

 combined witli the calyx-tube. Fruit various, as drupe, pome, achenium, etc.; 

 seeds solitary or few, mostly albutnenless, with straight embryo and large thick 

 cotyledons. 



Trees, slirubs and herbs, many of great economic value in the production of 

 most useful fruits, beautiful flowers, choice perfumes, etc. 



GENUS PRUNUS, TOURNEFORT. 



Leaves simple; stipules free and commonly deciduous. Flowers perfect, with 

 calyx regular, free and falling away after flowering; petals widely spreading; 

 stamens 15-30; pistil solitary with style terminal or nearly so, and ovary contain- 

 ing 2 pendulous ovules. Fruit a drupe, fleshy, with a smooth 1-seeded (rarely 

 2 vseeded) stone. 



Trees and shrubs. (Prunus is the ancient Latin name of the plum-tree.) 



156. PRUNUS ILICIFOLIA, WALP. 

 ISLAY, HOLLY-LEAVED CHERRY, WILD OR EVERGREEN CHERRY. 



Ger., Stechpcdmenbldttrige Kirsche; Fr., Cerisier dfeuilles de Houx; 

 Sp., Cerezo de hojas de Acebo. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves evergreen, from broadly ovate to ovate-lanceo- 

 late, acute at apex, obtuse rounded or truncate (sometimes slightly cordate or on 

 the other hand wedge-shaped) at base, thick, rigid, lustrous dark green above, 



