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Holly

Ilex (/ˈlɛks/), or holly,[2] is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family.[3] Ilex has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus.[4] The species are evergreen or deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones worldwide. The type species is Ilex aquifolium, the common European holly used in Christmas decorations and cards.

Holly
Temporal range: Maastrichtian–Recent
European holly (Ilex aquifolium) leaves and fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Aquifoliales
Family: Aquifoliaceae
DC. ex A.Rich.
Genus: Ilex
L.
Type species
Ilex aquifolium
Species

About 570, see text

Description

 
Ilex paraguariensis

The genus Ilex is divided into three subgenera:[5]

  • Ilex subg. Byronia, with the type species Ilex polypyrena
  • Ilex subg. Prinos, with 12 species
  • Ilex subg. Ilex, with the rest of the species

The genus is widespread throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the world. It includes species of trees, shrubs, and climbers, with evergreen or deciduous foliage and inconspicuous flowers. Its range was more extended in the Tertiary period and many species are adapted to laurel forest habitats. It occurs from sea level to more than 2,000 m (6,600 ft) with high mountain species. It is a genus of small, evergreen trees with smooth, glabrous, or pubescent branchlets. The plants are generally slow-growing with some species growing to 25 m (82 ft) tall. The type species is the European holly Ilex aquifolium described by Linnaeus.[1] Plants in this genus have simple, alternate glossy leaves, frequently with a spiny leaf margin. The inconspicuous flower is greenish white, with four petals. They are generally dioecious, with male and female flowers on different plants.[6]

The small fruits of Ilex, although often referred to as berries, are technically drupes.[7] They range in color from red to brown to black, and rarely green or yellow. The "bones" contain up to ten seeds each. Some species produce fruits parthenogenetically, such as the cultivar 'Nellie R. Stevens'. The fruits ripen in winter and thus provide winter colour contrast between the bright red of the fruits and the glossy green evergreen leaves. Hence the cut branches, especially of I. aquifolium, are widely used in Christmas decoration. The fruits are generally slightly toxic to humans, and can cause vomiting and diarrhea when ingested. However, they are an important food source for birds and other animals, which help disperse the seeds. Unfortunately this can have negative impacts as well. Along the west coast of North America, from California to British Columbia, English holly (Ilex aquifolium), which is grown commercially, is quickly spreading into native forest habitat, where it thrives in shade and crowds out native species. It has been placed on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board's monitor list, and is a Class C invasive plant in Portland.[8][9][10][11]

Etymology

Ilex in Latin means the holm-oak or evergreen oak (Quercus ilex). Despite the Linnaean classification of Ilex as holly, as late as the 19th century in Britain, the term Ilex was still being applied to the oak as well as the holly – possibly due to the superficial similarity of the leaves.[12][13] The name "holly" in common speech refers to Ilex aquifolium, specifically stems with berries used in Christmas decoration. By extension, "holly" is also applied to the whole genus. The origin of the word "holly" is considered a reduced form of Old English hole(ġ)n,[14] Middle English Holin, later Hollen.[15][16] The French word for holly, houx, derives from the Old Low Franconian *hulis (Middle Dutch huls).[17] Both are related to Old High German hulis, huls,[18] as are Low German/Low Franconian terms like Hülse or hulst. These Germanic words appear to be related to words for holly in Celtic languages, such as Welsh celyn, Breton kelen(n) and Irish cuileann. [19]

Several Romance languages use the Latin word acrifolium, literally "sharp leaf" (turned into aquifolium in modern time), so Italian agrifoglio, Occitan grefuèlh, etc. [20]

History

 
Hollies (here, Ilex aquifolium) are dioecious: (above) shoot with flowers from male plant; (top right) male flower enlarged from female plant; (lower right) female flower enlarged, showing ovary and reduced, sterile stamens with no pollen.

The phylogeography of this group provides examples of various speciation mechanisms at work. In this scenario ancestors of this group became isolated from the remaining Ilex when the Earth mass broke away into Gondwana and Laurasia about 82 million years ago, resulting in a physical separation of the groups and beginning a process of change to adapt to new conditions. This mechanism is called allopatric speciation. Over time, survivor species of the holly genus adapted to different ecological niches. This led to reproductive isolation, an example of ecological speciation. In the Pliocene, around five million years ago, mountain formation diversified the landscape and provided new opportunities for speciation within the genus.

The fossil record indicates that the Ilex lineage was already widespread prior to the end of the Cretaceous period. Based on the molecular clock, the common ancestor of most of the extant species probably appeared during the Eocene, about 50 million years ago, suggesting that older representatives of the genus belong to now extinct branches.[21] Ilex sinica seems to be the most basal extant species.[22] The laurel forest covered great areas of the Earth during the Paleogene, when the genus was more prosperous. This type of forest extended during the Neogene, more than 20 million years ago. Most of the last remaining temperate broadleaf evergreen forests are believed to have disappeared about 10,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene. Many of the then-existing species with the strictest ecological requirements became extinct because they could not cross the barriers imposed by the geography, but others found refuge as a species relict in coastal enclaves, archipelagos, and coastal mountains sufficiently far from areas of extreme cold and aridity and protected by the oceanic influence.

Selected species

Range

The genus is distributed throughout the world's different climates. Most species make their home in the tropics and subtropics, with a worldwide distribution in temperate zones. The greatest diversity of species is found in the Americas and in Southeast Asia.

Ilex mucronata, formerly the type species of Nemopanthus, is native to eastern North America.[23] Nemopanthus was treated as a separate genus with eight species.[24] of the family Aquifoliaceae, now transferred to Ilex on molecular data;[25] it is closely related to Ilex amelanchier.[26]

In Europe the genus is represented by a single species, the classically named holly Ilex aquifolium, and in continental Africa by this species and Ilex mitis. Ilex canariensis, from Macaronesia, and Ilex aquifolium arose from a common ancestor in the laurel forests of the Mediterranean. Australia, isolated at an early period, has Ilex arnhemensis. Of 204 species growing in China, 149 species are endemic. A species which stands out for its economic importance in Spanish-speaking countries and in Brazil is Ilex paraguariensis or Yerba mate. Having evolved numerous species that are endemic to islands and small mountain ranges, and being highly useful plants, many hollies are now becoming rare.

Ecology

Often the tropical species are especially threatened by habitat destruction and overexploitation. At least two species of Ilex have become extinct recently, and many others are barely surviving.[27]

They are extremely important food for numerous species of birds, and also are eaten by other wild animals. In the autumn and early winter the fruits are hard and apparently unpalatable. After being frozen or frosted several times, the fruits soften, and become milder in taste. 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 (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata). Other Lepidoptera whose larvae feed on holly include Bucculatrix ilecella, which feeds exclusively on hollies, and the engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia).

Toxicity

Holly can contain caffeic acid, caffeoyl derivatives, caffeoylshikimic acid, chlorogenic acid, feruloylquinic acid, quercetin, quinic acid, kaempferol, tannins, rutin, caffeine, and theobromine.[28][29]

Holly berries can cause vomiting and diarrhea. They are especially dangerous in cases involving accidental consumption by children attracted to the bright red berries.[30] Ingestion of over 20 berries may be fatal to children.[29][30]

Holly leaves, if eaten, might cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach and intestinal problems.[30]

Holly plants might be toxic to pets and livestock.[31]

Uses

Culinary use

Leaves of some holly species are used by some cultures to make daily tea. These species are Yerba mate (I. paraguariensis), Ilex guayusa, Kuding (Ilex kaushue), Yaupon (I. vomitoria) and others. Leaves of other species, such as gallberry (I. glabra) are bitter and emetic.[32] In general little is known about inter-species variation in constituents or toxicity of hollies.

Holly berries are fermented and distilled to produce an eau de vie.[33][34]

Ornamental use

Many of the holly species are widely used as ornamental plants in temperate/European gardens and parks, notably:

Hollies are often used for hedges; the spiny leaves make them difficult to penetrate, and they take well to pruning and shaping.[36] Many hundreds of hybrids and cultivars have been developed for garden use, among them the very popular "Highclere holly", Ilex × altaclerensis (I. aquifolium × I. perado) and the "blue holly", Ilex × meserveae (I. aquifolium × I. rugosa).[37] The cultivars I. × meserveae Blue Prince = 'Conablu' and Blue Princess = 'Conapri'[38] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[39][40] Another hybrid is Ilex × koehneana, with the cultivar 'Chestnut Leaf'.[41]

Culture

 
Traditional Christmas card with holly and mistletoe. Circa 1880s

Holly – more specifically the European holly, Ilex aquifolium – is commonly referenced at Christmas time, and is often referred to by the name Christ's thorn.[42][43] In many Western Christian cultures, holly is a traditional Christmas decoration,[44] used especially in wreaths and illustrations, for instance on Christmas cards. Since medieval times the plant has carried a Christian symbolism,[45] as expressed in the traditional Christmas carol "The Holly and the Ivy", in which the holly represents Jesus and the ivy represents the Virgin Mary.[43] Angie Mostellar discusses the Christian use of holly at Christmas, stating that:[43]

Christians have identified a wealth of symbolism in its form. The sharpness of the leaves help to recall the crown of thorns worn by Jesus; the red berries serve as a reminder of the drops of blood that were shed for salvation; and the shape of the leaves, which resemble flames, can serve to reveal God's burning love for His people. Combined with the fact that holly maintains its bright colors during the Christmas season, it naturally came to be associated with the Christian holiday.[43]

In heraldry, holly is used to symbolize truth. The Norwegian municipality of Stord has a yellow twig of holly in its Coat-of-arms.

The Druids held that "leaves of holly offered protection against evil spirits" and thus "wore holly in their hair".[43]

In the Harry Potter novels, holly is used as the wood in Harry's wand.

In some traditions of Wicca, the Holly King is one of the faces of the Sun God. He is born at midsummer and rules from Mabon to Ostara.[citation needed]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ a b "Index Nominum Genericorum". Smithsonian Institution. 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  2. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book. 1995. pp. 606–07.
  3. ^ "Ilex Tourn. ex L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  4. ^ Yao, Xin; Tan, Yun-Hong; Liu, Ying-Ying; Song, Yu; Yang, Jun-Bo; Corlett, Richard T. (2016). "Chloroplast genome structure in Ilex (Aquifoliaceae)". Scientific Reports. 6: 28559. Bibcode:2016NatSR...628559Y. doi:10.1038/srep28559. PMC 4932625. PMID 27378489.
  5. ^ "The Plant List: Ilex". Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Missouri Botanic Garden. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  6. ^ Renner, Susanne S.; Müller, Niels A. (29 March 2021). "Plant sex chromosomes defy evolutionary models of expanding recombination suppression and genetic degeneration". Nature Plants. Nature Portfolio. 7 (4): 392–402. doi:10.1038/s41477-021-00884-3. ISSN 2055-0278. PMID 33782581. S2CID 232421827.
  7. ^ . 11 April 2012. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012.
  8. ^ . wa.gov. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015.
  9. ^ . Invasive Species Week. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015.
  10. ^ . cal-ipc.org. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008.
  11. ^ . Archived from the original on 29 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 978-0199206872.
  13. ^ Abbe, Elfriede Martha (1965). The plants of Virgil's Georgics. Cornell University Press. p. 88.
  14. ^ Middle English Holin, later Hollen. Skeat, Walter William (1887). Principles of English etymology, Volume 1. London, U.K.: Clarendon Press. p. 371.
  15. ^ T. F. Hoad, English Etymology, Oxford University Press, 1993 (ISBN 0-19-283098-8), p. 218b.
  16. ^ Skeat, Walter William (2005). A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Cosimo, Inc. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-59605-092-1.
  17. ^ "HOUX : Etymologie de HOUX". cnrtl.fr.
  18. ^ Pick, Edward (1869). An etymological dictionary of the French language. Murray. p. 106.
  19. ^ Skeat, Walter William (1882). An etymological dictionary of the English language. Clarendon Press. p. 269.
  20. ^ Nettleship, Henry (1889). Contributions to Latin lexicography. Clarendon Press. p. 27.
  21. ^ Loizeau, P.-A.; Barriera G.; Manen J.-F.; Broennimann O. (2005). "Towards an understanding of Ilex L. (Aquifoliaceae) on a World-wide scale". In Friis I.; Balslev H. (eds.). Plant diversity and complexity patterns: local, regional, and global dimensions : proceedings of an international symposium held at the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in Copenhagen, Denmark, 25–28 May 2003. Biologiske skrifter. Vol. 55. Kongelige Danske videnskabernes selskab. pp. 507–517. ISBN 978-87-7304-304-2. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  22. ^ Yao, Xin; Song, Yu; Yang, Jun‐Bo; Tan, Yun‐Hong; Corlett, Richard T. (2021). "Phylogeny and biogeography of the hollies (Ilex L., Aquifoliaceae)". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 59: 73–82. doi:10.1111/jse.12567. S2CID 213027259.
  23. ^ "Ilex mucronata". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  24. ^ Species PPP-index
  25. ^ Powell, M., Savolainen, V., Cuénoud, P., Manen, J. F., & Andrews, S. (2000). The mountain holly (Nemopanthus mucronatus: Aquifoliaceae) revisited with molecular data. Kew Bulletin 55: 341–347.
  26. ^ Alexandra M. Gottlieb; Gustavo C. Giberti; Lidia Poggio (2005). "Molecular analyses of the genus Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) in southern South America, evidence from AFLP and ITS sequence data". American Journal of Botany. 92 (2): 352–369. doi:10.3732/ajb.92.2.352. hdl:20.500.12110/paper_00029122_v92_n2_p352_Gottlieb. JSTOR 4123880. PMID 21652411. S2CID 6484345.
  27. ^ International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (2007): 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Ilex]
  28. ^ Kellie P. Burris; Federico M. Harte; P. Michael Davidson; C. Neal Stewart Jr; Svetlana Zivanovic (2012). "Composition and bioactive properties of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.): A review". Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research. 72 (2): 268–274. doi:10.4067/S0718-58392012000200016.
  29. ^ a b "Toxicity of Holly". Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  30. ^ a b c "Holly". webmd.com. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  31. ^ "American Holly". aspca. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  32. ^ Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. p. 363.
  33. ^ Prial, Frank J. (18 February 1979). "Fruits of the Distiller's Art". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  34. ^ Virbila, S. Irene (22 April 1990). "Eau-de-Vie, the Spirit of Alsace". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  35. ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  36. ^ Northumbria Police: Security starts at the Garden Gate
  37. ^ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
  38. ^ "Ilex × meserveae Blue Princess = 'Conapri'". RHS. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  39. ^ "RHS Plantfinder – Ilex × meserveae Blue Prince = 'Conablu'". Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  40. ^ "AGM Plants – Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 52. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  41. ^ Bailes, Christopher (December 2022). "Plant profile: Hollies". The Garden. 147 (12): 40–45.
  42. ^ Sanford Niles, ed. (1895). Christmas History and Customs. School Education Company. p. 24. In Germany and Scandinavia the holly, or holy tree, is called "Christ's thorn," from its use in church decorations, and because it bears berries at Christmas-tide.
  43. ^ a b c d e Mosteller, Angie (2008). Christmas. Itasca Books. pp. 86–87, 89. ISBN 9781607910084.
  44. ^ Ciesla, William M. (2002). Non-wood Forest Products from Temperate Broad-leaved Trees. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. p. 13. ISBN 9789251048559. Holly is still a popular Christmas decoration among Christian cultures.
  45. ^ Struthers, Jane (4 October 2010). The Book of Christmas. Ebury Publishing. p. 218. ISBN 9781448148936. The British native holly (Ilex aquifolim) has tremendous religious significance at Christmas. Its prickly leave are evocative of the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus Christ's head at His crucifixion, and its scarlet berries are synonymous with drops of His blood.

External links

holly, ilex, redirects, here, other, uses, disambiguation, shortfin, squid, genus, illex, confused, with, holy, ilex, holly, genus, over, species, flowering, plants, family, aquifoliaceae, only, living, genus, that, family, ilex, most, species, woody, dioeciou. Ilex redirects here For other uses see Holly disambiguation For the shortfin squid genus see Illex Not to be confused with Holy Ilex ˈ aɪ l ɛ k s or holly 2 is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae and the only living genus in that family 3 Ilex has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus 4 The species are evergreen or deciduous trees shrubs and climbers from tropics to temperate zones worldwide The type species is Ilex aquifolium the common European holly used in Christmas decorations and cards HollyTemporal range Maastrichtian Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NEuropean holly Ilex aquifolium leaves and fruitScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder AquifolialesFamily AquifoliaceaeDC ex A Rich Genus IlexL Type speciesIlex aquifoliumL 1 SpeciesAbout 570 see text Contents 1 Description 2 Etymology 3 History 4 Selected species 5 Range 6 Ecology 7 Toxicity 8 Uses 8 1 Culinary use 8 2 Ornamental use 8 3 Culture 9 Gallery 10 References 11 External linksDescription Edit Ilex paraguariensis The genus Ilex is divided into three subgenera 5 Ilex subg Byronia with the type species Ilex polypyrena Ilex subg Prinos with 12 species Ilex subg Ilex with the rest of the speciesThe genus is widespread throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the world It includes species of trees shrubs and climbers with evergreen or deciduous foliage and inconspicuous flowers Its range was more extended in the Tertiary period and many species are adapted to laurel forest habitats It occurs from sea level to more than 2 000 m 6 600 ft with high mountain species It is a genus of small evergreen trees with smooth glabrous or pubescent branchlets The plants are generally slow growing with some species growing to 25 m 82 ft tall The type species is the European holly Ilex aquifolium described by Linnaeus 1 Plants in this genus have simple alternate glossy leaves frequently with a spiny leaf margin The inconspicuous flower is greenish white with four petals They are generally dioecious with male and female flowers on different plants 6 The small fruits of Ilex although often referred to as berries are technically drupes 7 They range in color from red to brown to black and rarely green or yellow The bones contain up to ten seeds each Some species produce fruits parthenogenetically such as the cultivar Nellie R Stevens The fruits ripen in winter and thus provide winter colour contrast between the bright red of the fruits and the glossy green evergreen leaves Hence the cut branches especially of I aquifolium are widely used in Christmas decoration The fruits are generally slightly toxic to humans and can cause vomiting and diarrhea when ingested However they are an important food source for birds and other animals which help disperse the seeds Unfortunately this can have negative impacts as well Along the west coast of North America from California to British Columbia English holly Ilex aquifolium which is grown commercially is quickly spreading into native forest habitat where it thrives in shade and crowds out native species It has been placed on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board s monitor list and is a Class C invasive plant in Portland 8 9 10 11 Etymology EditIlex in Latin means the holm oak or evergreen oak Quercus ilex Despite the Linnaean classification of Ilex as holly as late as the 19th century in Britain the term Ilex was still being applied to the oak as well as the holly possibly due to the superficial similarity of the leaves 12 13 The name holly in common speech refers to Ilex aquifolium specifically stems with berries used in Christmas decoration By extension holly is also applied to the whole genus The origin of the word holly is considered a reduced form of Old English hole ġ n 14 Middle English Holin later Hollen 15 16 The French word for holly houx derives from the Old Low Franconian hulis Middle Dutch huls 17 Both are related to Old High German hulis huls 18 as are Low German Low Franconian terms like Hulse or hulst These Germanic words appear to be related to words for holly in Celtic languages such as Welsh celyn Breton kelen n and Irish cuileann 19 Several Romance languages use the Latin word acrifolium literally sharp leaf turned into aquifolium in modern time so Italian agrifoglio Occitan grefuelh etc 20 History Edit Hollies here Ilex aquifolium are dioecious above shoot with flowers from male plant top right male flower enlarged from female plant lower right female flower enlarged showing ovary and reduced sterile stamens with no pollen The phylogeography of this group provides examples of various speciation mechanisms at work In this scenario ancestors of this group became isolated from the remaining Ilex when the Earth mass broke away into Gondwana and Laurasia about 82 million years ago resulting in a physical separation of the groups and beginning a process of change to adapt to new conditions This mechanism is called allopatric speciation Over time survivor species of the holly genus adapted to different ecological niches This led to reproductive isolation an example of ecological speciation In the Pliocene around five million years ago mountain formation diversified the landscape and provided new opportunities for speciation within the genus The fossil record indicates that the Ilex lineage was already widespread prior to the end of the Cretaceous period Based on the molecular clock the common ancestor of most of the extant species probably appeared during the Eocene about 50 million years ago suggesting that older representatives of the genus belong to now extinct branches 21 Ilex sinica seems to be the most basal extant species 22 The laurel forest covered great areas of the Earth during the Paleogene when the genus was more prosperous This type of forest extended during the Neogene more than 20 million years ago Most of the last remaining temperate broadleaf evergreen forests are believed to have disappeared about 10 000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene Many of the then existing species with the strictest ecological requirements became extinct because they could not cross the barriers imposed by the geography but others found refuge as a species relict in coastal enclaves archipelagos and coastal mountains sufficiently far from areas of extreme cold and aridity and protected by the oceanic influence Selected species EditMain article List of Ilex species Ilex ambigua Ilex amelanchier Ilex anomala Ilex aquifolium European holly English holly Christ s thorn western and southern Europe northwest Africa and southwest Asia Ilex canariensis Macaronesian islands Ilex cassine dahoon holly cassena Virginia to southeast Texas of US Veracruz of Mexico Bahamas Cuba and Puerto Rico Ilex coriacea gallberry Virginia to Texas of United States Ilex cornuta Chinese holly horned holly eastern China and Korea Ilex crenata Japanese holly box leaved holly inutsuge Japanese eastern China Japan Korea Taiwan and Sakhalin Ilex decidua Walter possumhaw eastern United States northeastern Mexico Ilex gardneriana extinct 20th century India Ilex glabra L A Gray evergreen winterberry bitter gallberry inkberry eastern North America Ilex guayusa Amazon rainforest Ilex integra mochi tree Nepal holly Korea Taiwan the mid southern regions of China and Honshu Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan Ilex kaushue China Ilex khasiana India Ilex latifolia tarajo holly tarayō Japanese southern Japan and eastern and southern China Ilex mitis southern Africa Ilex montana Torrey amp A Gray mountain winterberry Eastern United States Ilex mucronata L M Powell Savol amp S Andrews mountain holly catberry Eastern North America Ilex opaca American holly Eastern United States Ilex paraguariensis yerba mate mate erva mate Ilex pedunculosa longstalked holly Ilex perado Macaronesian holly Ilex quercetorum Mexico and Guatemala Ilex rotunda Ilex rugosa Tsuru Holly mountains of Japan Sakhalin Khabarovsk Krai and Kuril Islands Siberia Ilex serrata Japanese winterberry Ilex verticillata L A Gray American winterberry Eastern North America Ilex vomitoria yaupon holly southeastern United States Range EditThe genus is distributed throughout the world s different climates Most species make their home in the tropics and subtropics with a worldwide distribution in temperate zones The greatest diversity of species is found in the Americas and in Southeast Asia Ilex mucronata formerly the type species of Nemopanthus is native to eastern North America 23 Nemopanthus was treated as a separate genus with eight species 24 of the family Aquifoliaceae now transferred to Ilex on molecular data 25 it is closely related to Ilex amelanchier 26 In Europe the genus is represented by a single species the classically named holly Ilex aquifolium and in continental Africa by this species and Ilex mitis Ilex canariensis from Macaronesia and Ilex aquifolium arose from a common ancestor in the laurel forests of the Mediterranean Australia isolated at an early period has Ilex arnhemensis Of 204 species growing in China 149 species are endemic A species which stands out for its economic importance in Spanish speaking countries and in Brazil is Ilex paraguariensis or Yerba mate Having evolved numerous species that are endemic to islands and small mountain ranges and being highly useful plants many hollies are now becoming rare Ecology EditOften the tropical species are especially threatened by habitat destruction and overexploitation At least two species of Ilex have become extinct recently and many others are barely surviving 27 They are extremely important food for numerous species of birds and also are eaten by other wild animals In the autumn and early winter the fruits are hard and apparently unpalatable After being frozen or frosted several times the fruits soften and become milder in taste 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 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Other Lepidoptera whose larvae feed on holly include Bucculatrix ilecella which feeds exclusively on hollies and the engrailed Ectropis crepuscularia Toxicity EditHolly can contain caffeic acid caffeoyl derivatives caffeoylshikimic acid chlorogenic acid feruloylquinic acid quercetin quinic acid kaempferol tannins rutin caffeine and theobromine 28 29 Holly berries can cause vomiting and diarrhea They are especially dangerous in cases involving accidental consumption by children attracted to the bright red berries 30 Ingestion of over 20 berries may be fatal to children 29 30 Holly leaves if eaten might cause diarrhea nausea vomiting and stomach and intestinal problems 30 Holly plants might be toxic to pets and livestock 31 Uses EditCulinary use Edit Leaves of some holly species are used by some cultures to make daily tea These species are Yerba mate I paraguariensis Ilex guayusa Kuding Ilex kaushue Yaupon I vomitoria and others Leaves of other species such as gallberry I glabra are bitter and emetic 32 In general little is known about inter species variation in constituents or toxicity of hollies Holly berries are fermented and distilled to produce an eau de vie 33 34 Ornamental use Edit Many of the holly species are widely used as ornamental plants in temperate European gardens and parks notably I aquifolium common European holly I crenata box leaved holly I verticillata winterberry 35 Hollies are often used for hedges the spiny leaves make them difficult to penetrate and they take well to pruning and shaping 36 Many hundreds of hybrids and cultivars have been developed for garden use among them the very popular Highclere holly Ilex altaclerensis I aquifolium I perado and the blue holly Ilex meserveae I aquifolium I rugosa 37 The cultivars I meserveae Blue Prince Conablu and Blue Princess Conapri 38 have gained the Royal Horticultural Society s Award of Garden Merit 39 40 Another hybrid is Ilex koehneana with the cultivar Chestnut Leaf 41 Culture Edit Traditional Christmas card with holly and mistletoe Circa 1880s Holly more specifically the European holly Ilex aquifolium is commonly referenced at Christmas time and is often referred to by the name Christ s thorn 42 43 In many Western Christian cultures holly is a traditional Christmas decoration 44 used especially in wreaths and illustrations for instance on Christmas cards Since medieval times the plant has carried a Christian symbolism 45 as expressed in the traditional Christmas carol The Holly and the Ivy in which the holly represents Jesus and the ivy represents the Virgin Mary 43 Angie Mostellar discusses the Christian use of holly at Christmas stating that 43 Christians have identified a wealth of symbolism in its form The sharpness of the leaves help to recall the crown of thorns worn by Jesus the red berries serve as a reminder of the drops of blood that were shed for salvation and the shape of the leaves which resemble flames can serve to reveal God s burning love for His people Combined with the fact that holly maintains its bright colors during the Christmas season it naturally came to be associated with the Christian holiday 43 In heraldry holly is used to symbolize truth The Norwegian municipality of Stord has a yellow twig of holly in its Coat of arms The Druids held that leaves of holly offered protection against evil spirits and thus wore holly in their hair 43 In the Harry Potter novels holly is used as the wood in Harry s wand In some traditions of Wicca the Holly King is one of the faces of the Sun God He is born at midsummer and rules from Mabon to Ostara citation needed Gallery Edit Ilex anomala A contorted hedgehog holly Ilex aquifolium Ferox Ilex chinensis Ilex pedunculosa Ilex rotunda Ilex yunnanensis Ilex meserveae Ilex pernyi from west ChinaReferences Edit a b Index Nominum Genericorum Smithsonian Institution 2013 Retrieved 19 February 2017 Sunset Western Garden Book 1995 pp 606 07 Ilex Tourn ex L Plants of the World Online Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 2021 Retrieved 5 September 2021 Yao Xin Tan Yun Hong Liu Ying Ying Song Yu Yang Jun Bo Corlett Richard T 2016 Chloroplast genome structure in Ilex Aquifoliaceae Scientific Reports 6 28559 Bibcode 2016NatSR 628559Y doi 10 1038 srep28559 PMC 4932625 PMID 27378489 The Plant List Ilex Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Missouri Botanic Garden Retrieved 27 November 2018 Renner Susanne S Muller Niels A 29 March 2021 Plant sex chromosomes defy evolutionary models of expanding recombination suppression and genetic degeneration Nature Plants Nature Portfolio 7 4 392 402 doi 10 1038 s41477 021 00884 3 ISSN 2055 0278 PMID 33782581 S2CID 232421827 Kew Plants and Fungi 11 April 2012 Archived from the original on 3 May 2012 Noxious Weed Control Board NWCB WA State Weed Detail Page wa gov Archived from the original on 26 July 2015 English Holly Invasive Species Week Archived from the original on 6 September 2015 Cal IPC Ilex aquifolium cal ipc org Archived from the original on 5 June 2008 Archived copy Archived from the original on 29 August 2015 Retrieved 14 August 2015 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Shorter Oxford English dictionary 6th ed United Kingdom Oxford University Press 2007 p 3804 ISBN 978 0199206872 Abbe Elfriede Martha 1965 The plants of Virgil s Georgics Cornell University Press p 88 Middle English Holin later Hollen Skeat Walter William 1887 Principles of English etymology Volume 1 London U K Clarendon Press p 371 T F Hoad English Etymology Oxford University Press 1993 ISBN 0 19 283098 8 p 218b Skeat Walter William 2005 A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language Cosimo Inc p 244 ISBN 978 1 59605 092 1 HOUX Etymologie de HOUX cnrtl fr Pick Edward 1869 An etymological dictionary of the French language Murray p 106 Skeat Walter William 1882 An etymological dictionary of the English language Clarendon Press p 269 Nettleship Henry 1889 Contributions to Latin lexicography Clarendon Press p 27 Loizeau P A Barriera G Manen J F Broennimann O 2005 Towards an understanding of Ilex L Aquifoliaceae on a World wide scale In Friis I Balslev H eds Plant diversity and complexity patterns local regional and global dimensions proceedings of an international symposium held at the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in Copenhagen Denmark 25 28 May 2003 Biologiske skrifter Vol 55 Kongelige Danske videnskabernes selskab pp 507 517 ISBN 978 87 7304 304 2 Retrieved 9 April 2012 Yao Xin Song Yu Yang Jun Bo Tan Yun Hong Corlett Richard T 2021 Phylogeny and biogeography of the hollies Ilex L Aquifoliaceae Journal of Systematics and Evolution 59 73 82 doi 10 1111 jse 12567 S2CID 213027259 Ilex mucronata Germplasm Resources Information Network GRIN Agricultural Research Service ARS United States Department of Agriculture USDA Retrieved 11 December 2017 Species PPP index Powell M Savolainen V Cuenoud P Manen J F amp Andrews S 2000 The mountain holly Nemopanthus mucronatus Aquifoliaceae revisited with molecular data Kew Bulletin 55 341 347 Alexandra M Gottlieb Gustavo C Giberti Lidia Poggio 2005 Molecular analyses of the genus Ilex Aquifoliaceae in southern South America evidence from AFLP and ITS sequence data American Journal of Botany 92 2 352 369 doi 10 3732 ajb 92 2 352 hdl 20 500 12110 paper 00029122 v92 n2 p352 Gottlieb JSTOR 4123880 PMID 21652411 S2CID 6484345 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources IUCN 2007 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Ilex Kellie P Burris Federico M Harte P Michael Davidson C Neal Stewart Jr Svetlana Zivanovic 2012 Composition and bioactive properties of yerba mate Ilex paraguariensis A St Hil A review Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research 72 2 268 274 doi 10 4067 S0718 58392012000200016 a b Toxicity of Holly Retrieved 3 March 2014 a b c Holly webmd com Retrieved 3 March 2014 American Holly aspca Retrieved 3 March 2014 Austin Daniel F 2004 Florida Ethnobotany CRC Press p 363 Prial Frank J 18 February 1979 Fruits of the Distiller s Art The New York Times Retrieved 21 November 2021 Virbila S Irene 22 April 1990 Eau de Vie the Spirit of Alsace The New York Times Retrieved 21 November 2021 RHS A Z encyclopedia of garden plants United Kingdom Dorling Kindersley 2008 p 1136 ISBN 978 1405332965 Northumbria Police Security starts at the Garden Gate Huxley A ed 1992 New RHS Dictionary of Gardening Macmillan ISBN 0 333 47494 5 Ilex meserveae Blue Princess Conapri RHS Retrieved 17 September 2020 RHS Plantfinder Ilex meserveae Blue Prince Conablu Retrieved 9 March 2018 AGM Plants Ornamental PDF Royal Horticultural Society July 2017 p 52 Retrieved 2 March 2018 Bailes Christopher December 2022 Plant profile Hollies The Garden 147 12 40 45 Sanford Niles ed 1895 Christmas History and Customs School Education Company p 24 In Germany and Scandinavia the holly or holy tree is called Christ s thorn from its use in church decorations and because it bears berries at Christmas tide a b c d e Mosteller Angie 2008 Christmas Itasca Books pp 86 87 89 ISBN 9781607910084 Ciesla William M 2002 Non wood Forest Products from Temperate Broad leaved Trees Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations p 13 ISBN 9789251048559 Holly is still a popular Christmas decoration among Christian cultures Struthers Jane 4 October 2010 The Book of Christmas Ebury Publishing p 218 ISBN 9781448148936 The British native holly Ilex aquifolim has tremendous religious significance at Christmas Its prickly leave are evocative of the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus Christ s head at His crucifixion and its scarlet berries are synonymous with drops of His blood External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ilex Eichhorn Markus March 2011 The Holly Tree Test Tube Brady Haran for the University of Nottingham Aquifoliaceae in BoDD Botanical Dermatology Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Holly amp oldid 1151408180, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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