Holly

Encyclopedia : H : HO : HOL : Holly

Holly (Ilex) is a genus of about 400 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae. 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 leaves. 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.

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

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.

Uses

American Winterberry foliage and berries

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. In the time of Druids holly-wood was used to make magic wands ^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]}. 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.

Trunk and leaves of a variegated holly bush.

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 Northern and Central America, I. vomitoria, Yaupon, was used by southeastern American Indians 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.

External links

• [holly at plants for a future]
• [pictures at CalPhotos]

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