HOLLY FAMILY 



U'ooti. — 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., 0.5S1S ; weight 

 of cii. ft., 36.26 lbs. 



Wiii/tr J-liiiis. — Urown, short, obtuse or acute. 



Lt\ivi's. — Alternate, evergreen, simple, Icather-x'eined, elliptical 

 or oljlong, two to lour inches long, wedge-shaped at base, wa\y 

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

 inent and depressed, primary \cins conspicuous. Thick, leathery, 

 yellow green, shining abo\"e, often pale yellow beneath. They re- 

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

 when pushed ofl' by growing buds. Petioles short, stout, grooved, 

 thickened at base. Stipules minute. 



/•7c/7L',-rs. — .May. June. Dicecious, greenish white, small, both 

 sterile and fertde borne in short pedunculate cymes from the axils 

 of young le.ives or scattered along the base ol young branches. 

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

 flowered. Peduncles and pedicels hairy with minute Israels at base, 

 Cd/fx. — Small, four-lobed, imbricate in the bud, acute, margins 

 ciliatc, persistent. 



Ct>rc'//ti. — Petals white, four, somewhat united at base, obtuse, 

 spreading, hypogynous, imljricate in bud. 



S/ajiifiis. — Four, inserted on the base of corolla, alternate with 

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

 er in the fertile flowei' ; anthers attachcil at the back, oblong, in- 

 trorse. two-celled, cells opening lonyitudinallv. 



Pisti/s. — (J\ary supcri(5r, four-celled, rudimentary in staminatc 

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

 two in each cell. 



J-ruit. — Dru])aceous, 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- 

 angular. 



On Christmas eve ttie l^elfs were rung ; 

 On Cliristiiias eve tfie mass was sung ; 

 Ttiat unly night in all tfie year, 

 Saw the stoled priest the clialice rear. 

 The damsel donned her kirtlc sliecn ; 

 The hall was dressed witli huflv green ; 

 Forth to tlie wood dici merrv-nien go 

 To gather in the mistleti'C, 



M.irmion. — Sir WALTER ScoTT. 



The mistletoe Imng in the castle tiail, 

 The hollv l)rancli slionc on ttic old oak wnll ; 

 Tlic baron's retainers were Ijhthe and gay 

 A keeping a Christmas holiday. 



— Thomas H, Baylby. 



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