ILEX 651 



the teeth are smaller, the leaf-stalk flatter and the blade less undulated at the 

 margin. It is pretty certain that either it or balearica, a geographical variety 

 mentioned below, share in a greater or less degree the parentage of many 

 garden hollies, especially those with big, flattish, rather dull-surfaced leaves. 

 The true platyphylla of Webb (different from the holly so called in gardens.) 

 is probably tender. 



Var. BALEARICA (I. balearica, Desfontaines). Leaves ovate or oval, 2 to 3^ 

 ins. long, I to 2 ins. wide, stout and dark green ; spines usually few and 

 irregular or absent. Female plant in gardens. Native of the Balearic Islands 

 and S. Spain. 



Var. MADERENSIS. Leaves ovat or oval, 2^ to 3^ ins. long, bright green, 

 the margins uniformly spiny, the spines pointing forwards. Very close to 

 balearica. A variegated holly known as MADERENSIS VARIEGATA, with an 

 irregular yellow blotch in the centre, is probably a hybrid in whose origin 

 I. Aquifolium has a share, as indicated by the large spines and wavy margin. 



Var. NIGRESCENS. A fine dark green variety, the largest leaves of which 

 are 4 ins long by 2| ins. wide, ovate, sparsely and irregularly spiny. A male. 



I. SERRATA, Thunberg. 



(I. Sieboldii, Miquel^ 



A deciduous shrub, up to 12 or 15 ft. high, with spreading branches ; young 

 shoots angled, zigzag, minutely downy. Leaves oval and ovate to somewhat 

 obovate ; tapered at both ends, usually more slenderly at the apex ; finely 

 toothed, i to 3 ins. long, \ to I in. wide ; dull green above, and soft with 

 minute down when young, becoming smooth later ; covered with a more 

 conspicuous, persistent down and prominently veined beneath ; stalk \ in. or 

 less long; downy. Flowers inconspicuous in axillary clusters. Fruit red, 

 globose, \ in. diameter. 



Native of Japan ; apparently introduced for the first time in 1893 to Kew 

 from Yokohama, but known in the United States since about 1866. It is quite 

 hardy, and bears good crops of fruit. It has very much the aspect of the North 

 American I. verticillata, but is not so ornamental, the fruits being smaller and 

 scarcely so bright ; its leaves are also more finely toothed. Sargent observes 

 that the leafless branches are sold in immense quantities in Tokyo for house 

 decoration ; for this purpose they are admirably suited, as the berries hang on 

 and retain their colour a long time. 



Var. LEUCOCARPA. Fruits white ; leaves shorter and broader. Introduced 

 in 1893. 



I. VERTICILLATA, A. Gray. BLACK ALDER WINTERBERRY 



(Prinos verticillatus, Linnceits.') 



A deciduous shrub, 6 to 10 ft. high, of spreading habit ; young shoots 

 smooth. Leaves oval, obovate, or lanceolate, tapered at both ends ; i to 3 

 ins. long, ^ to I in. wide ; shallowly and often doubly toothed ; smooth above, 

 downy beneath, especially on the midrib and veins ; stalk J to in. long. 

 Male flowers in clusters of six or more in the leaf-axils ; female ones fewer. 

 Calyx edged with small hairs. Fruits often solitary or in pairs, bright red (or, 

 in var. CHRYSOCARPA, Robinson, yellow), J in. diameter, round. 



Native of Eastern N. America ; introduced in 1736. This is the most 

 ornamental of the American deciduous hollies, and is frequently very showy in 

 autumn with the glossy scarlet berries, which are in full colour before the 

 leaves fall. The only species with which it is likely to be confused is 

 I. laevigata (y.v.), a species which has also red fruits and is deciduous. It 



