122 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



' Handsworth Silver ' : a striking holly with long silvery margined 

 leaves and a wealth of splendid berries. If we were restricted to one 

 Silver Holly this would be the variety selected, on account of its display 

 of berries, as compared with 1 Silver Queen ' (Argentea Begina), a very fine 

 holly, but without the charm of ' Handsworth Silver.' The variety grand is 

 is very bright and desirable, but it is little known in British gardens, 

 although well worthy of a place. 



Under the varietal name of Aurca the Golden Hollies are placed, and 

 Aurea marginata is the type. 



The ' Golden Queen ' [Aurca Begina) is the jewel of this group and 

 should be the first chosen. The growth is strong, and the leaf is almost 

 wholly of a soft golden colour. It is delightful either as a single specimen 

 on the lawn, or in a large group in the shrubbery. It deserves a promi- 

 nent place, and as a golden variegated tree is unrivalled for beautiful 

 winter colouring. Another handsome Golden Holly is Gompacta Aurea, 

 or Watereriana, which has very bright variegation, and is suitable for 

 small gardens, or where it is desired to keep the specimens within certain 

 limits. The weeping form of the ' Golden Queen ' Holly is also excellent 

 as a lawn specimen, and a variety of recent introduction named ' Madame 

 Briot' has variegation almost as bright as 'Golden Queen,' while the 

 growth is strong, and the berries bright and profuse. 



A Review of the Genus. 



This is in no sense a monograph of the genus : that may well be left to 

 other hands ; but I thought a brief review of the genus would interest 

 readers of the Society's Journal. 



Hollies, as they are commonly known in this country, are so typically 

 evergreen that the term "evergreen" may appear superfluous. There 

 are, however, numerous deciduous hollies. Ilex is a large genus, com- 

 prising probably upwards of two hundred species, which are scattered 

 widely over both tropical and temperate countries, being found on almost 

 all the great land areas of the globe. About twenty species can be grown 

 in the average climate of Great Britain, and eight of these are true ever- 

 green hollies. The deciduous ones belong chiefly to the group formerly 

 known as Prinos, and are shrubs notable mainly for their handsome 

 fruits, especially the brilliantly coloured I. vertieillata ; they are not, how- 

 ever, much grown nowadays. The eight species mentioned are as follows : 

 European : ilex Aquifolium ; Asiatic : L cornuta, I. dipyrena, I. latifolia, 

 I. crenata, I. Integra, and I. Pernyi ; American : I. opaca. The flowers 

 of these hollies are small, white or greenish, and are not attractive. 



We now come to the wayside and woodland holly, our cheery Ilex 

 Aquifolium and its varieties. Among all the introductions from other 

 countries and climates that have poured into this country during the last 

 150 years, our native holly still holds its own as one of the best, if not 

 the best, of all evergreens for general planting in the gardens of Great 

 Britain. It is naturally a tree from 30 to 50 feet in height (Loudon 

 mentions examples GO to 70 feet high), but it can still be kept 

 permanently at the size of a small bush a few feet high by pruning. It 

 has sported into numerous and varied forms, and in colour, in shape, and 



