284 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SHRUBS 



holly-like evergreen leaves 2 to 4 inches long, IIolly-leaved Olive (487) 

 — Osmantlms Aquifolium, While the foliage looks like the holly, the 

 arrangement on the stem shows at once the difference. All true hollies 

 have alternate, this has opposite, leaves. The plant can be successfully 

 cultivated with but little protection north to Philadelphia and has a 

 number of varieties: some with variegated foliage, as aiireum, yellow- 

 blotched ; arg^nteum, white-blotched. 



[Seeds (slow in germination) ; twig cuttings ; suckers.] 



Fig. 4i)4. — Friuge-tree. 



Fig. 495. — Chinese Fringe-tree. 



Lycium. The Matrimony Vines or Box Thorns are spiny plants 

 often found in cultivation because of the beautiful red or orange berries. 

 They are, as the name indicates, vines rather than shrubs and sometimes 

 are useful as arbor coverings. The flowering season is a long one, May 

 to September. The leaves are mostly small, thick, nearly evergi-een, 

 alternately clustered on the drooping spiny branches. The many-seeded 

 berries are red or reddish, hanging on through the fall. The European 

 species, Common Matiumony Vine (488) — Lycium halimifolium, — is 

 most frequent in cultivation though not so fine as the Chinese Matri- 

 mony Vine (480) — Lycium chinense. Both of these are hardy North; the 

 European has ornnge to yellow berries about a half inch long, while the 

 Chinese has brighter and more distinctly red oblong berries nearly an inch 

 long. Besides tliese two hardy species, there are a dozen or more species 

 which may be in cultivation in the South ; and they are wild in Europe, 



