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ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM.
G e n u s I .
M YGI'NDri Jacq. T u e M y g i n d a . L in. Syst. Tetréndria Monog/ai».
Identification. Jaco. Amer., p. 2 4 .; Dec. P ro d ., 2, p, 12.; D o n ’s Mill., 2, p. 15.
Synonymes. F le x F u r sh ; Oreöpbila N u tt. in Tor. an d Gray.
De rivation. So named by Jacquin in honour o f Francis von Mygind, a German botanist.
Gen. Char. small, 4-cleft. deeply 4-cleft, subiotate. Stamens
alternating with the segments o f the corolla, and shorter than them, and
inserted in its throat. Ovary roundish. Slimnas 4. Drupe ovate, 1-celled.
(Don’s M ill.)
Leaves simple, mostly opposite, exstipulate, evergreen ; entire or remotely
serrulated. Flowers axillary, subsolitary, m inute .— One species is hardy.
A* 1. M. ,’i/vttTiFo'LiA N u tt. The Myrtle-leaved Myginda.
Identfication. N u tt. Gen., 1. p. 109. , Don’s Mill., 2, p. 15. ; Dec. P ro d ., 2.
S ‘/nonymc5. i 'l e x Wvrsinites ; Oreóphila wyrtiibl!*» A/w«
Engravings. Hook PI. IJor. Amer., t. 41. ; and oaxfig.
spec. Char., tj-c. Leaves oblong, blunt, serrated, smooth,
with revolute edges. Peduncles very shqrt asually solitary,
1-flowered. Style short, club-shaped 4-lobed a t the
apex. (Don’s M itt.) A low evergreen shrub. N. W.
coast o f North America, and the R ocky Mountains.
Height 2 ft. to 4 ft. Introduced in 1818. Flowers small,
white ; May to August. D ra p e dark purple ; ripe in Oct.
Plants of this s[)ecies a re in the arboretum of Messrs.
Loddiges ; where it Is increased by cuttings, and grows in
common soil.
G e n u s I I .
/ 'L E X L . T h e H o l l y . Lin. Syst. Tetrândria Tetragynia.
Identification. Lin. Gen., No. 172. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 13. ; D o n ’s Mill., 2. p. 16.
Synonymes. Jq u ifb lium T o w n . Inst. t. 371., Gært. Fruct. 2. t. 92. ; Houx, Pr. : Stechpalme or
Helise, Ger. : Ilice, Ita t.
Derivation. Ih e o p h ra s tu s , and o th e r Greek authors, named th e holly Agria ; th a t is, wild, o r of
th e fields ; and th e Romans formed from this th e word Agrifolium ; and called it, also Aqui-
folium, from a cutum, sharp, and fo lium , a leaf. C. Bauhin and Lo u re iro first named it / 'l e x , on
acoount o f th e resemblance o f its leaves to those of th e â u é rc u s / 'l e x , th e tru e Ilex o f 'Virgil.
L innæus adopted the name of U lex for th e genus, and preserved tlie name of Jq u ifô lium for the
most anciently known species. T h e name o f Holly is, probably, a corruption _____ ly,i . . „ oyjf. t„l..iye, wrr Lo/1r «dA hllLoIlly
as T u rn e r in 'h is He rbal calls it Holy, and Holy T re e ; probably from* i^s bcing'used tVcomme-
’«''ra teirth e holy time o f Christmas, not only in houses, b u t in churches. T h e German name
morati
Chrisi
oonjecture.
ristdorn, th e Danish name Christorn, and th e Swedish : •
1 name C h ristto rn , seem to justify this
Gon. Char. Calyx 4—5-toothed, permanent. Corolla 4—5-cleft, subrotate.
Stamens 4—5, alternating with the segments o f the corolla. Ovary sessile.
Stigmas 4. _ Berry containing 4—5 1-seeded nuts. (Don’s M ill.)
¿ » flw i simple, alternate, exstipulate, mostly evergreen; ovate, oval, or
ovate-lanceolate, coriaceous, serrated, toothed, or quite entire. Flowers
axillary, aggregate, small, generally white. Fruit a drupe, mostly red.—Low
trees and shrubs, chiefly evergreen, natives o f Europe, North America, and
th e Himalayas, generally o f slow growth, and o f long duration. Loamy
soil, rather dry than moist.
A. Leaves spiny-toothed.
/ . rioniro'LiuM L . The prickly-leaved, or common, HoWy.
- r \ m i r . Ï’. in -
Spec. Char., 4c. Leaves oblong, shining, '^ ‘'Y ’? js7m e °'co n ic a l, evergreen
^ ^ ¿ n r r r ? a ik a wild state f and
‘¿lb. I'lex riquifolium.
twice th a t height, or upwards, in a state o f cultivation. Flowers white;
May. F rn it r e d ; ripe in September, and remaining on th e tree all the
winter. The lower leaves are very spinous ; while th e upper ones, especially
on old trees, are entire. Decaying leaves yellow, dropping in June
or July.
Varieties. In general the variegation of plants, more especially o f trees and
sh ru b ^ is accompanied by a ragged, or otherwise unhealthy, appearance in
the leaves ; but th e holly is one o f the very few exceptions to this_ rule.
The variegations o f th e holly are chiefly confined to the modification o f
white and yellow in the leaves: b u t there are some sorts in which the
variation results from th e state o f th e leaves with reference to prickles, to
magnitude, and to fo rm ; and others consist of differences in th e colour
o f the fruit, which is red, yellow, or white, and black. These varieties are,
for the most part, without names, and those in th e following groups a[)-
pear to us to be all th a t are truly d is tin c t; but the shades o f difference under
each name in these groups are almost innumerable.