American Holly and Cake

Yesterday I photographed this American Holly (Ilex opaca Aiton) in Spring Hill, Florida. The Latin ilex is derived from elex, the ancient name for European Holm Oak Tree (now Quercus ilex). It doesn't really fit but there's no changing it now.



There was a flock of birds devouring the berries from the tree. The berries are known to be cathartic which may explain why the entire area was covered with bird poop. Native Floridians made a ceremonial beverage from the berries that was referred to as 'black drink.' The Seminole leader, who becamme known as Osceola, was in fact called by his Hitichiti or Miccosukee title, asi yahola (black drink singer). I won't brewing any black drink to sample any time soon. But. . . good to know.



A blog reader wanted to know how I left the Lyonia Tree and what became of the Snowman Cake.

ABOVE: The Lyonia Tree still stands in the sunroom, for now. I'm going to try to revisit the ethnographic roots of all our plant species in 2010. Toward that goal I will say that the Seminoles used the wood of Lyonia for making pipe bowls. I'm not so ambitious so this specimen will likely become firewood around New Years.

BELOW: The cake was cut, shared, and eaten.





BELOW: This is one of my favorite holiday photos. . . it looks like snowman is thinking "XXXXXX. . . ." well. . . fill in your own caption.