189 



LARGE-LEAVED HOLLY. 

 Ilex monticola, Gray. 



FORM — A shrub or small tree usually less than 20 ft. in height but may reach a height of 40 

 ft. with a diameter of 12 inches. It reaches its largest size in North and in South Carolina. 

 Trunk short, bearing a rather wide and deep crown formed by slender, spreading, ascending 

 branches. 



BARK — Thin, light brown, rough, warty, covered with numerous lenticels. 



TWIGS — Smooth, reddish-brown, becoming dark gray, enlarged at nodes; with decurrent 

 ridges running down from leaf-scars; round, marked by many small lenticels at first indistinct 

 but later conspicuous. Pith round, narrow, light yellowish-green. 



BUDS — Alternate, terminal bud present; lateral buds often superposed and covered with 

 gaping scales; broadly ovate to globular, small, about i of an inch long, sharp-pointed or 

 occasionally blunt-pointed. Bud-scales ovate, keeled, sharp-pointed, light brown, finely hairy 

 at apex. 



LEAVES — Alternate, simple, deciduous, 4-5 inches long, i-2 inches wide, ovate or lanceo- 

 late-oblong, taper-pointed at apex, sharply serrate on margin, tapering or rounded at base, 

 thin, smooth, dark green above, paler below. 



LEAF-SCARS — Alternate, elliptical to broadly triangular, very small, inclined to twig. 

 Bundle-scars solitary, lunate to almost circular. 



FLOWERS — Appear on short lateral stalks about June, when the leaves are almost developed; 

 white or nearly so, small, about i of an inch across. Staminate clustered, borne upon 

 pedicels about 2/5 of an inch long; pistillate solitary or few in a cluster, on very short 

 pedicels. 



FRUIT — Matures about September. Bright scarlet, globose, about 2/5 of an inch in diameter 

 containing 4-6 nutlets; nutlets narrowed at the ends, striate, prominently many-ribbed on the 

 back. 



WOOD — Diffuse-porous; hard close-grained, nearly white. In general resembles that of the 

 American Holly, page 188. Weighs about 41 lbs. per cubic foot. Not found on the market. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS— The Mountain Holly may be distinguished bty its 

 small size, its small clustered white flowers, its bright scarlet globose clustered fruit with 

 striate many-ribbed nutlets, its ovate or l^^nceolate-oblong, smooth, sharply-serrate, dark 

 green deciduous leaves, its small leaf-scars with a solitary bundle-scar, and its bitter reddish- 

 brown twigs marked by many small lenticels and decurrent ridges below the leaf-scars. The 

 closely related Black Alder or Winterberry (Ilex verticillata; has many characteristics in 

 common with this species but may be distinguished by its smooth and even nutlets, its flowers 

 which are all short-stalked, its leaves which are more downy on the lower surface. 



RANGE — New York to Georgia and Alabama. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA — Rather common in the mountainous parts of the 

 State. Rare or absent in other parts. 



HABITAT — Usually found in mountain woods. Prefers rich, moist, often rocky situations. 

 Frequently occurs in shaded places under a dense canopy of larger trees. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES— This tree is of little forestal importance. It remains 

 small, grows slowly and occurs scattered or in .^mall clumps. Its bright foliage and brilliant 

 fruit recommend it for ornamental purposes. It reaches tree-size only in the South. 



