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'Holly' ('''Ilex''') is a genus of about 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only genus in that family. 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 serrations. 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.

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.
The species ''Ilex mucronata'', formerly treated in a separate genus ''Nemopanthus'', is now included in ''Ilex'' on molecular data (Powell et al. 2000).

Contents

Origin of name

Uses

References

Notes

External links

Origin of name

The origin of the word ''holly'' is Old English ''holegn'', which is related to Old High German ''hulis'' (the French word for holly, ''houx'', derives from the German word). These Germanic words appear to be related to words for holly in Celtic languages, such as Welsh ''celyn'' and Irish ''cuilleann''.
The botanic name ''ilex'' was the original Latin name for the Holm oak, which has similar foliage to common holly, and is occasionally confused with it.

Uses

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. 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.

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 North 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. In China, the young leaf buds of '' I. kudingcha'' are processed in a method similar to green tea to make a tisane called Ku Ding tea.
Holly shrubs and trees are often used by homeowners and landscape architects for home security purposes. The sharp thorns of many species deter unauthorized persons from entering private properties, and may prevent break-ins if planted under windows and near drainpipes. The aesthetic characteristics of holly plants, in conjunction with their home security qualities, makes them a considerable alternative for artificial fences and walls.^[1][2]

References

★ Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Ilex'' species list

★ Flora of China: ''Ilex'' species list

★ Flora of Ecuador: ''Ilex''

★ Flora Europaea: ''Ilex'' species list

★ Flora of Nepal: ''Ilex'' species list

★ USDA Plants Profile: ''Ilex''

★ Powell, M., Savolainen, V., Cuénod, P., Manen, J. F., & Andrews, S. (2000). The mountain holly (''Nemopanthus mucronatus'': Aquifoliaceae) revisited with molecular data. ''Kew Bulletin'' 55: 341–347.

Notes

1. Holly, an article from homesecurityguru.com
2. Yard Protection: Your First Line of Defense, an article from homesecurityguru.com

External links

★ ''Growing Christmas holly on the farm'' hosted by the UNT Government Documents Department