HOLLY FAMILY 



by the longer stalks of the sterile flowers; in autumn by 

 its leaves which turn bright yellow before they fall. 

 Possibly, the fruit is not quite so abundant as that of 

 Ilex vcrticillata; does not cling to the branches quite so 

 late ; and on the average is larger and more scattered. 



INKBERRY. EVERGREEN WINTER-BERRY 



Ilex glabra. 



Slender, delicate-looking, evergreen, two to six feet high, 

 growing in sandy soil ; found mainly near the coast from Nova 

 Scotia to Louisiana. 



Leaves. — Evergreen, alternate, simple, oblong or oblanceolate, 

 one to two inches long, wedge-shaped at base, serrate with two 

 or three teeth toward the apex, or entire, apex obtuse or acute ; 

 when full grown dark green, leathery, shining above, paler and 

 black-dotted beneath. Petioles short. 



Flo7vers. — June. Perfect or dioecious, small, white, six- 

 pointed, borne in the axils of the leaves. Staminate in few-flow- 

 ered cymes; pistillate generally solitary, sometimes two or three 

 together ; pedicels slender. 



Fruit. — Berry-like drupe, black, globose, one-fourth of an 

 inch in diameter ; six-seeded ; nutlets smooth. 



This broad-leaved evergreen of the United States 

 has been cultivated in England for more than a hun- 

 dred years, but has not yet made its way into our own 

 gardens. 



Its natural habit is rather tall and straggling, but 

 under cultivation the bush assumes a more compact 

 form. The leaves remain bright green and glossy 

 throughout the winter, while the shining black ber- 

 ries give an added grace. It is a beautiful plant and 

 should be cultivated both for its summer and for its 

 w^inter beauty. 



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