G. 18] 



CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION 



77 



some have only staminate flowers. The statninate flowers are very 

 ill-scented. A rapid-growing tree, with useful hard wood ; cultivated 

 and naturalized ; hardy throughout. See page 10. 



ORDER XII. 



. (HOLLY FAMILY.) 



A small order of trees and shrubs, including for our 

 purpose only one genus: 



GENUS 18. ILEX. 



Trees oj* shrubs with simple, alternate, thick, mostly 

 evergreen leaves. Flowers rather inconspicuous, mostly 

 in clusters. Fruit berry-like, small (J to \ in.), with 4 to 

 6 nutlets ; hanging on the plants late in the autumn or 

 through the winter. 



Leaves evergreen. (A. ) 

 A. Leaves with spiny teeth . 



A. No spiny teeth 



Leaves deciduous . . 



1. ilex opaca, Ait. (AMERICAN HOLLY.) 

 Leaves evergreen, oval, acute, thick, smooth, 

 with scattered spiny teeth. Flowers white ; 

 May. The bright-red berries, found only on some 

 of the trees, remain on through the greater part 

 of the winter. Small 

 tree, 15 to 40 ft. high, 



f 1 1 i i y., i with very hard white wood ; wild in south- 



I-USB? ^r/t ern New England and southward. A beau- 



tiful broad-leaved, evergreen tree which 

 should be more extensively cultivated. 

 North of latitude 41 it needs a protected 

 situation. 



2. Ilex Dahoon, Walt. (DAHOON HOL- 

 LY.) Leaves 2 to 3 in. long, evergreen, 

 oblanceolate or oblong, entii'e or sharply 

 serrate toward the apex, with revolute 

 margins, not spiny. Young branches and 



