Information about Holly

For , see .

Holly
Ilex aquifolium leaves and fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Aquifoliales Family: Aquifoliaceae Genus: Ilex L.
Species
See text

Holly (Ilex) is a genus of about 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only genus in that family. They are shrubs and trees from 2–25 m tall, with a wide distribution in Asia, Europe, north Africa, and North and South America. The leaves are simple, and can be either deciduous or evergreen depending on the species, and may be entire, finely toothed, or with widely-spaced, spine-tipped serrations. Hollies are mostly dioecious, with male and female flowers on different plants, with some exceptions. Pollination is mainly by bees and other insects. The fruit is a small berry, usually red when mature, with one to ten seeds.

Selected species

Ilex ambigua – Sand Holly Ilex amelanchier – Swamp Holly Ilex aquifolium – European Holly Ilex bioritsensis Ilex buergeri Ilex canariensis – Small-leaved Holly Ilex cassine – Dahoon Holly Ilex centrochinensis Ilex ciliospinosa Ilex colchica Ilex collina Ilex corallina Ilex coriacea – Gallberry Ilex cornuta – Chinese Holly Ilex crenata – Japanese Holly Ilex cyrtura Ilex decidua – Possumhaw Ilex dehongensis Ilex dimorphophylla Ilex dipyrena – Himalayan Holly Ilex fargesii Ilex geniculata Ilex georgei Ilex glabra – Gallberry, Inkberry Ilex goshiensis Ilex guayusa Ilex integra Ilex intricata Ilex kingiana Ilex kudingcha Ilex kusanoi

Ilex laevigata Ilex latifolia – Tarajo Holly Ilex leucoclada Ilex longipes Ilex macrocarpa Ilex macropoda Ilex mitis Ilex montana – Mountain Winterberry Ilex mucronata – Mountain Holly Ilex myrtifolia – Myrtle Holly Ilex nothofagifolia Ilex opaca – American Holly Ilex paraguariensis –Yerba Mate Ilex pedunculosa Ilex perado – Madeiran Holly Ilex pernyi – Perny's Holly Ilex pringlei Ilex pubescens Ilex purpurea Ilex rotunda Ilex rugosa Ilex serrata – Japanese Winterberry Ilex sikkimensis Ilex spinigera Ilex sugerokii Ilex tolucana Ilex verticillata – American Winterberry Ilex vomitoria – Yaupon Holly Ilex wilsonii Ilex yunnanensis

Sources:^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Holly berries are mildly toxic and will cause vomiting and/or diarrhea when ingested by people. However they are extremely important food for numerous species of birds, and also are eaten by other wild animals. In the fall and early winter the berries are hard and apparently unpalatable. After being frozen or frosted several times, the berries soften, and become edible. During winter storms, birds often take refuge in hollies, which provide shelter, protection from predators (by the spiny leaves), and food. The flowers are sometimes eaten by the larva of the Double-striped Pug moth. Other Lepidoptera whose larvae feed on holly include Bucculatrix ilecella (which feeds exclusively on holly) and the Engrailed.

The species Ilex mucronata, formerly treated in a separate genus Nemopanthus, is now included in Ilex on molecular data; it is closely related to Ilex amelanchier.^[7][8]

Etymology

The origin of the word holly is Old English holegn, which is related to Old High German hulis (the French word for holly, houx, derives from the German word). These Germanic words appear to be related to words for holly in Celtic languages, such as Welsh celyn and Irish cuilleann.

The botanical name ilex was the original Latin name for the Holm Oak Quercus ilex, which has similar foliage to common holly, and is occasionally confused with it.

Uses

In many western cultures, holly is a traditional Christmas decoration, used especially in wreaths. Many of the hollies are highly decorative, and are widely used as ornamental plants in gardens and parks. The wood is heavy, hard and white; one traditional use is for chess pieces, with holly for the white pieces, and ebony for the black. Other uses include turnery, inlay work and as firewood. Looms in the 1800s used holly for the spinning rod. Because holly is dense and can be sanded very smooth, the rod was less likely than other woods to snag threads being used to make cloth.

Several American holly species are used to make various caffeine rich teas. The South American I. paraguariensis is used to make yerba mate, a common drink. I. guayusa is used both as a stimulant and as an admixture to the entheogenic tea ayahuasca; The leaves of I. guayusa have the highest caffeine content of any known plant. In North and Central America, I. vomitoria, Yaupon, was used by southeastern Native Americans as a ceremonial stimulant and emetic known as the black drink. As the name suggests, the tea's purgative properties were one of its main uses, most often ritually. In China, the young leaf buds of I. kudingcha are processed in a method similar to green tea to make a tisane called Ku Ding tea.

Holly shrubs and trees are often used by homeowners and landscape architects for home security purposes. The sharp thorns of many species deter unauthorised persons from entering private properties, and may prevent break-ins if planted under windows and near drainpipes. The aesthetic characteristics of holly plants, in conjunction with their home security qualities, makes them a good choice for hedges.^[9]

References