HOLLY FAMILY 



Wood. — Brown, sapwood paler brown ; light, tough, close- 

 grained, susceptible of a brilliant polish, and is used for whip-han- 

 dles, engraving blocks, and cabinet work. Sp. gr., 0.5818 ; weight 

 of cu. ft., 36,26 lbs. 



Winter Buds. — Brown, short, obtuse or acute. 

 Leaves. — Alternate, evergreen, simple, feather-veined, elliptical 

 or oblong, two to four inches long, wedge-shaped at base, wavy 

 toothed margin with a few spiny teeth, acute at apex ; midrib prom- 

 inent and depressed, primary veins conspicuous. Thick, ledthery, 

 yellow green, shining above, often pale yellow beneath. They re- 

 main on the branches for three years, finally falling in the spring 

 when pushed off by growing buds. Petioles short, stout, grooved, 

 thickened at base. Stipules minute. 



Flowers. — May, June. Dicecious, greenish white, small, both 

 sterile and fertile borne in short pedunculate cymes from the axils 

 of young leaves or scattered along the base of young branches. 

 Sterile clusters three to nine-flowered ; fertile clusters one to three- 

 flowered. Peduncles and pedicels hairy with minute bracts at base. 

 Calyx. — Small, four-lobed, imbricate in the bud, acute, margins 

 ciliate, persistent. 



Corolla. — Petals white, four, somewhat united at base, obtuse, 

 spreading, hypogynous, imbricate in bud. 



Stamens. — Four, inserted on the base of corolla, alternate with 

 its lobes ; filaments awl-shaped, exserted in the sterile, much short- 

 er in the fertile flower ; anthers attached at the back, oblong, in- 

 trorse, two-celled, cells opening longitudinally. 



Pistils. — Ovary superior, four-celled, rudimentary in staminate 

 flowers ; style wanting ; stigma sessile, four-lobed ; ovules one or 

 two in each cell. 



Fruit. — Drupaceous, spherical or ovoid, crowned with the rem- 

 nants of the stigma, one-fourth of an inch across, red, rarely yellow, 

 persistent all winter. Nutlets few, ribbed and veined, nearly tri- 

 ang-ular. 



On Christmas eve the bells were rung ; 

 On Christmas eve the mass was sung ; 

 That only night in all the year. 

 Saw the stoled priest the chalice rear. 

 The damsel donned her kirtle sheen ; 

 The hall was dressed with holly green ; 

 Forth to the wood did merry-men go 

 To gather in the mistletoe. 



Marmion. — SIR WALTER ScoTT. 



The mistletoe hung in the castle hall, 

 The holly branch shone on the old oak wall ; 

 The baron's retainers were blithe and gay 

 A keeping a Christmas holiday. 



— Thomas H. Bayley. 



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