American Holly

Added Dec 01, 2022

Name

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ilex opaca, theAmerican holly, is a species ofholly, native to the eastern and south-centralUnited States, from coastalMassachusettssouth to centralFlorida, and west to southeasternMissouriand easternTexas.[2][3]

Ilex opacais a medium-sized broadleavedevergreentree growing on average to 10–20m (33–66ft) tall, and up to 30m (98ft) tall. Typically, its trunk diameter reaches 50cm (20in), sometimes up to 120cm (47in). Thebarkis light gray, roughened by small warty lumps. The branchlets are stout, green at first and covered with rusty down, later smooth and brown. The winter buds are brown, short, obtuse or acute.

Theleavesarealternate, 5–7.5cm (2.0–3.0in) long and 2–4cm (0.79–1.57in) wide, stiff, yellow green and dull matte to sub-shiny above (distinctly less glossy than the otherwise fairly similar European hollyIlex aquifolium[4]), often pale yellow beneath; the edges are curved into several sharp, spike-like points, and a wedge-shaped base andacute apex; themidribis prominent and depressed, the primary veins conspicuous; thepetioleis short, stout, grooved, thickened at base, with a pair of minutestipules. The leaves remain on the branches for two to three years, finally falling in the spring when pushed off by growing buds.[2][5][6]

Thefruitis a small reddrupe6–12mm diameter containing fourseeds; it is often persistent into winter.[2][5][6]Branch full of ripe fruitTheflowersare greenish white, small, borne in late spring in shortpedunculate cymesfrom theaxilsof young leaves or scattered along the base of young branches. The calyx is small, four-lobed,imbricatein the bud, acute, marginsciliate, persistent. Thecorollais white, with four petal-like lobes united at the base,obtuse, spreading,hypogynous,imbricatein bud. The flower stem is hairy with a minutebractat base. Like allhollies, it isdioecious, with separate male and female plants; only female plants produce the characteristic red berries. One male canpollenizeseveral females. Male flowers have fourstamens, inserted on the base of the corolla, alternate with its lobes;filamentsawl-shaped, exserted in the sterile, much shorter in the sterile flower;anthersattached at the back, oblong,introrse, two-celled, cells opening longitudinally. Thepistilon female flowers has asuperior ovary, four-celled,rudimentaryinstaminateflowers;stylewanting,stigma sessile, four-lobed; ovules one or two in each cell.