Copy permalink to share

Ilex Linnaeus. Common name: Holly, Winterberry, Gallberry, Dahoon.

Key to Ilex

A genus of 400-500 species, mostly trees and shrubs, cosmopolitan and widespread in tropical and temperate areas, especially Asia and America. The genus Nemopanthus is deeply embedded in the phylogenetic tree of Ilex and is clearly best subsumed into it (Manen, Boulter, & Naciri-Graven 2002; Yao et al. 2021; Yang et al. 2023). Sectional classification follows Yang et al. (2023).

ID notes: Some of our species can be superficially similar to various shrubs and trees of the Rosaceae, in their deciduous, alternate, toothed leaves borne on spur shoots.

References: Clark (2023); Godfrey (1988); Krakow (1989); Manen, Boulter, & Naciri-Graven (2002); Powell et al. (2000); Whittemore [in prep.]; Wunderlin & Poppleton (1977); Yang et al. (2023c); Yao et al. (2021). Show full citations.

Show in key(s)

Show parent family | Show parent in key(s)

Show species in Ilex

Your browser does not support SVGs

Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend. Data for arrows not developed for genera and families which may have species only occurring outside the flora area.

image of plant© Keith Bradley | Ilex opaca | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Ilex collina | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Ilex coriacea | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Ilex glabra | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson | Ilex opaca source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware | Ilex opaca CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Ilex krugiana var. krugiana | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Ilex mucronata | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Bruce A. Sorrie | Ilex laevigata | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Ilex arenicola | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Joey Shaw | Ilex decidua source | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something missing or incorrect about Ilex? Let us know here:

  1. Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
  2. If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
  3. Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
  4. Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
  5. Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.