ILEX OPACA 
lished where new varieties in all species, 
especially Opaca, are welcomed for trial. 
The attention being accorded the im- 
provement of the hardy Opacas through 
varietal selection and better cultural 
methods is being reflected in their 
growing popularity for landscaping not 
alone in the home gardens but in public 
park systems and along our super high- 
ways. Some of the handsomer varieties 
are even receiving consideration from 
growers for the commercial production 
of berried spray holly for the Christ- 
mas trade. 
Var. GOLDEN FLEECE, F—(Brownell). 
Named by the author in 1948 following 
an argosy in search of rare native 
hollies in company with an expert 
guide, Dr. William Frierson of South 
Carolina. This startling gold sheathed 
holly located in the foothills of the 
Great Smokies proved to be a parallel 
to the well-known Ilex Flavescens of 
the English Aquifoliums, one of which, 
Phantom Gold, is pictured in color on 
the back cover. In addition to the large > 
and feminine specimen which was the 
object of our quest and from which 
cuttingwood was taken, a smaller seed- 
ling was found growing in a near-by 
wooded area which now graces our 
Ilexetum. The Golden Fleece is an 
exceedingly tender tree, and with leaves 
so susceptible to sunburn that it must 
be most carefully handled in partial 
shade, especially when young. 
Var. HowarD (Hume). This selection 
is mentioned because it is a variety 
chosen some years ago for one of the 
first large commercial plantings of na- 
tive American holly, and which is 
located in the State of Georgia. Though 
a heavy fruiting type and thickly fol- 
iaged with smooth slender dark green 
leaves so typical of the Southern hollies, 
it does not appear to hold too much 
promise as a market variety when 
offered in competition with the more 
traditional and preferred hollies of 
waved and spiny leaves. 
Var. OLD HEAVYBERRY (Dilatush). Also 
said to be sold under the name of 
Hookstra. Many years back when every 
available named Opaca was purchased 
from several well known Eastern and 
Southern nurseries specializing in holly, 
this Old Heavyberry stood out head 
and shoulders above the rest in the 
eyes of one long trained to evaluate the 
English hollies. It just seemed to have 
the vigor, substance and boldness, and 
color and berry to render it a perma- 
nently useful and beautiful holly. It is 
readily distinguishable from all other 
Opacas, and if not the best in the 
judgement of everyone else, it is still 
“tops” with me. 
Var. XANTHOCARPA (Yellow Berry). 
Here we go reeling off into the Greek 
again: Xantho meaning yellow and 
Carpa being the word for fruit. It is the 
equivalent of Fructu-luteo, the latin 
designation given to the yellow berried 
English hollies. These odd but beautiful 
variants occur ever so seldom as natural 
seedling sports, and then apparently, 
only when the residual but generally 
recessive yellow characteristic suddenly 
attains the whip-hand potential over 
the usually ruling genetic dominant of 
red coloration. 
Space will permit no more than the 
listing of several other named Opacas 
growing at our Ilexetum: Arden, Boun- 
tiful, Cape Cod, Cardinal, Croonen- 
berg, Cup [eaf, East Palatka, Hume’s 
selections, ‘Judge Brown, Lake City, 
Merry Christmas, Old Leatherleaf (a 
male form) and sprightly Sprig, as well 
as others. 
ILEX VERTICILLATA (Black Alder, 
Winterberry). By all odds the showiest 
and most ornamental of the native 
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