deciduous hollies. The rather oppro- 
brious common name of Black Alder 
was derived from the brief dark discol- 
oration of the leaves which takes place 
annually just before they fall away in 
the autumn season. The maiden Verti- 
cillatas really deserve a more glamorous 
title even than ‘‘Winterberry,”’ for they 
employ the intriguing habit of the strip 
tease artist by shedding their foliage 
and baring their branches the better to 
display their slender limbs literally en- 
crusted with treasured jewels of tiny 
but brilliant berries of a seemingly 
translucent ruby color. 
ILEX VOMITORIA (Yaupon, also 
Cassena). A rigid upright growing ever- 
green with small remotely spined leaves 
seldom more than an inch in length. 
V. Hybrid Hollies. 
The abundant scarlet berries are ex- 
ceedingly tiny like those of Angusti- 
folia described among the English hol- 
lies. This holly is often sheared into 
tall green columns for formal garden 
decoration. 
But the most interesting feature of 
Vomitoria is perhaps its name which 
is used to describe the emetic effect 
produced by a tea or infusion made by 
boiling its leaves in water. It is also one 
of the five known hollies to contain the 
principle of caffeine within its leaves. 
A fascinating story of the use of this 
shrub in early Indian ceremonials in 
Florida about the year 1564 will be 
found in the masterful book of the 
‘Hollies’ written by Dr. H. Harold 
Hume and published in 1953 by The 
Macmillan Company. 
The list of hybrid hollies is abbreviated from necessity rather than 
choice. There appears to be a great wide world open here for research 
and study of the potentialities of cross-breeding not only within species 
but especially between species of Ilex. Chromosome barriers undoubt- 
edly exist to render futile many to-be-attempted crosses. On the other 
hand there is strong possibility that the species can be grouped into 
classes of like chromosome count to pave the way for successful trials 
in the future. Perhaps this is as good a time as any to mention the as 
yet unexplored field for inducing artificial mutation by the employment 
of the chemical colchine on living cell tissue, and also the exposure of 
viable seed to emanations of radioactive isotopes in an effort to multiply 
or disturb the factors controlling the normal genetic behavior of holly 
seedlings. 
But two named hybrids are currently available in the trade, and are 
accepted in fact by some if not by all of our authorities on the hollies. 
ILEX AQUIPERN (Ilex Aquifolium x 
Ilex Pernyi). Certainly the leaves of this 
holly resemble those of English holly 
and being normally equipped with stems 
they do not sit directly on the branches 
as is the manner of the Chinese parent 
of this hybrid. However, the growth 
habit is strictly that of Pernyi. Some 
Observers feel that Aquipern may be 
another garden variety of Pernyi. It is 
not known by the author if this hybrid 
is the result of happenstance, or if 
32 
Aquipern can be produced at will, a 
sure test of validity. 
ILEX SIKKIMENSIS x ILEX WIL- 
SONII. Offered under the unassuming 
name of San Jose Hybrid, this bold 
leafed holly certainly possesses the as- 
pects of both parents in about equal 
proportions. In other words, it is half- 
way in almost every respect between 
Sikkimensis and Wilsonii previously 
described on pages 20 and 30. 
