AQUIFOLIACEAE 



American Holly 



Ilex opaca Ait. 



HABIT. The largest native holly forming a tree 40-60 feet 

 high and 1-2 feet in diameter (max. 100 by 3^ feet); narrow, 

 dense crown. 



LEAVES. Alternate; simple; persistent 3 years; elliptical; 

 2-4 inches long; spiny toothed or sometimes entire; with a 

 spiny tip; leathery; yellow-green above, paler or yellow below. 



FLOWERS. Regular; dioecious; small; solitary or in short 

 cymes; green-white; appearing with the leaves. 



FRUIT. A berry-like drupe persisting into the winter; bright 

 red; !4 inch long; with a bony nutlet in each of 3-8 cells of 

 ovary. 



TWIGS. Slender; glabrous; green with single bundle tr?ce. 

 Winter buds: terminal present, scaly, H-/4 inch long, ciliate. 



BARK. Thin; smooth; gray-white; with warty growths. 



WOOD. Unimportant; hard and heavy; white; fine-textured; 

 diffuse-porous; used for turning, novelties, and finish. 



SILVICAL CHARACTERS. Tolerant; slow-growing; repro- 

 duction sparse; commonly cultivated; rare near cities because 

 of Christmas demand. 



About 14 species of Ilex are native to the eastern or southeastern 

 parts of the United States, six of these commonly forming trees, and 

 keyed out below. Most of the others, while typically shrubs up to 6 

 feet high, have been reported as rarely reaching tree size. The English 

 holly, I. aquifolium L., is grown in plantations for decorations. 

 1. Leaves persistent, thick and leathery; pedicels with bractlets. 

 2. Leaves with spiny teeth or a spiny tip. 



3. Flowers and fruits usually clustered on last year's twigs; culti- 

 vated in warm areas I. aquifolium L., English Holly 



3. Flowers and fruits usually single on current growth. 



4. Leaves less than twice as long as broad 



I. opaca Ait., American Holly 



4. Leaves more than twice as long as broad; coastal plain, 



Virginia to Louisiana /. cassine L., Dahoon 



2. Leaves without spiny teeth or tip, entire to serrate. 

 5. Fruit red; coastal plain, Virginia to Texas. 



6. Leaves oblanceolate to oblong-obovate, entire 



I. cassine L. , Dahoon 



6. Leaves oval with few crenate teeth I. vomitoria Ait., Yaupon 



5. Fruit brown-purple; southern Florida 



/. krugiana Loes., Tawnyberry Holly 



1. Leaves deciduous, not leathery; pedicels without bractlets. 



7. Leaves sharply toothed; apex pointed; Massachusetts and New 



York, south to Florida and Louisiana 



I. montana T. & G., Mountain Winterberry 



7. Leaves with few rounded teeth; apex obtuse; Maryland to 

 Kansas and south I. decidua Walt., Possumhaw 



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