THE ILEX, 309 
closely resembled our English Tree—proof of 
the similarity being furnished by the fact, that 
the existing Oak of Palestine very nearly re- 
sembles the Ilex. Though its descriptive name of 
‘Evergreen Oak’ might suggest the possession 
of qualities exceeding those of the monarch of 
our woodlands, it is not by any means so noble a 
Tree, though it does oftentimes attain a great 
size anda great age. Neither in habit nor foliage 
is it at all like our native Oak, but it bears the 
distinctive acorn, though the latter, in shape, 
differs from the acorn of the sacred Tree of 
old England, and it sits, moreover, in a scaly 
cup. The fruit, however, of the Ilex takes two 
years to perfect. A curious fact concerning the 
Tlex acorns is, that sometimes the same Tree will 
bear both bitter and sweet ones, the latter being 
edible and pleasant to the taste. The leaves have 
a sort of general resemblance to those of the 
Holly, being, like the latter, of a dark glossy 
green, with prickly or sharply serrated edges, 
though they vary very much,—and not un- 
frequently on the same Tree—some being almost 
even of edge, others being sharply serrated, and 
