(542 ILEX 



ILEX. HOLLY. AQUIFOLIACE^E. 



A very large genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs 

 found in almost all parts of the habitable globe except Western N. 

 America and Australasia. In gardens they are best known by the 

 evergreen group, especially by I. Aquifolium and its numerous forms. 

 They have very frequently angular young shoots ; leaves alternate, stalked. 

 Flowers of little or no beauty, small, often dull white, produced in the 

 leaf-axils, the males and females usually on separate plants. Petals and 

 stamens four to six. Fruit although commonly called a "berry," really a 

 drupe, usually red or black, with a thin, fleshy outer layer, surrounding 

 one to several nutlets generally termed " seeds." 



The most valuable hollies are undoubtedly those with evergreen 

 foliage, but the deciduous ones, especially those earlier known under 

 the generic name of PRINOS, are sometimes handsome in fruit. Owing 

 to the frequently unisexual character of the plants, these often fail to 

 appear if both sexes are not grown. All the species like a moist, loamy 

 soil. (For propagation, see under /. Aquifolium.} 



I. AQUIFOLIUM, Linnczus. COMMON HOLLY. 



An evergreen tree, up to 80 ft. high, of very leafy, much-branched habit, 

 forming naturally a dense pyramidal mass ; branchlets often clothed more or 

 less with minute dark down. Leaves glossy dark green, I to 3 ins. long, 

 ^ to 2.\ ins. wide ; very variable in size, outline, and toothing. Ordinary seed- 

 raised young trees have very wavy leaves with large, triangular, outstanding 

 teeth i in. long ; but as they increase in height the leaves of the upper branches 

 become less spiny, until finally the tops of good-sized trees will be found 

 almost wholly furnished with quite entire leaves. The spines are no doubt a 

 means of protection against browsing animals, and are no longer needed 

 when the trees become tall. But even very large trees retain their spinine<-s 

 on the lower branches. Flowers small, dull white, short-stalked, fragrant ; 

 produced during May and June, clustered in the leaf-axils. Berries round, 

 red, J in. diameter, containing two to four nutlets. The common holly may be 

 either male, female, or bisexual. 



Native of Europe (including Britain, where it is found wild in all parts 

 except the north-east of Scotland) and W. Asia. The common holly is on the 

 whole the most useful of evergreen trees and shrubs. For providing shelter 

 nothing else equals it, because of its habit of keeping dense near the ground ; 

 and during the dark months a holly tree well laden with its bright red fruit is 

 one of the handsomest and most cheerful objects our winter landscape provides. 

 It makes the best of all evergreen hedges. 



The holly does not transplant well, and unless it he removed with a 

 considerable amount of soil attached to its roots, this operation can only 

 be done safely either about the end of September or in May, when root-activity 

 has commenced. If the roots have been injured in transplanting, it is a good 

 plan to proportionately reduce the top growth by as much as one-half (see 

 chapter on Transplanting). The common holly should be raised from seed. 

 Being slow of germination it is advisable, as with Cratregus, to mix the berries 

 with sand or fine earth in a heap, which should be exposed for a year to all 

 weathers and turned occasionally. This rots the outer covering and allows 

 the two to four nuts or seeds each fruit contains to separate. They are then 



