Members of the holly family (Aquifoliaceae) are shrubs and trees with small, white or pale green, unisexual flowers. The family consists of four genera with 419 species, of which 400 species are members of the holly genus, Ilex. The family Aquifoliaceae is a member of the class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons), division Magnoliophyta (the angiosperms, or flowering plants).
Most hollies are dioecious, meaning a plant is either a male (staminate) or a female (pistillate). Holly flowers have radial symmetry, and are four-merous, that is, the flowers are round and floral parts occur in fours. Holly flowers have four sepals, four petals, four stamens (male flowers), and an ovary made up of four fused carpels, called a pistil (female flowers). The fruit is a drupe, which …
The holly family occurs in most temperate and tropical regions, except Australia and Africa. About 12 species of Ilex occur in North America. Sarvis holly (Ilex amelanchier), gallberry (Ilex glabra), large gallberry (Ilex coriacea), myrtle-leaf holly (Ilex myrtifolia), and winterberry inhabit swamps, bogs, and floodplains. Possum haw (Ilex decidua) occurs in floodplains and second-growth forests. …
Several species of Ilex are planted by homeowners for their attractive foliage and berries. Among the best known of the horticultural varieties are the American holly, yaupon holly, and winterberry. Because of their colorful berries which ripen by fall and winter, many hollies are used for indoor decorating, especially during the Christmas season. Holly boughs and wreaths are popular for this purp…
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