Flora of the Southeastern United States

Ilex ambigua (Michaux) Torrey. Common name: Carolina Holly. Phenology: Apr-Jun; Aug-Sep. Habitat: Sandy upland forests, dry slope forests, rarely in pocosin ecotones in the fall-line sandhills region. Distribution: Ne. North Carolina, se. Tennessee, n. Arkansas, and se. Oklahoma south to c. peninsular Florida, s. Mississippi, and se. Texas; disjunct in the Sierra Madre Oriental and Chiapas, Mexico.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: The various taxa that have been distinguished in this complex may have some merit, though a detailed study by Krakow (1989) did not clearly support their recognition. Ilex buswellii Small, strictly of xeric habitats (longleaf pine sandhills, Florida scrub) of the Coastal Plain from se. NC southward, has the larger leaves on the plant 2-3.5 (-4) cm long and 0.7-1.7 (-2.5) cm wide. Ilex ambigua (sensu stricto) is distributed in the Coastal Plain, Piedmont and low Mountains, and has the larger leaves on a plant 3-9 (-10.5) cm long and 1.7-6 cm wide. Ilex beadlei of the low Mountains and Piedmont has the larger leaves on a plant 7-9 (-10.5) cm long and 2-6 cm wide.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, Fl7, K4, NS, Ok, POWO, Clark (2023), Krakow (1989); = Ilex ambigua (Michx.) Torr. var. ambigua — FNA18, RAB, Tn, W, Godfrey (1988); > Ilex ambigua (Michx.) Torr. — Chap3, S, S13, Tx; > Ilex ambigua (Michx.) Torr. var. ambigua — WH3; >< Ilex ambigua (Michx.) Torr. var. monticola (A.Gray) Wunderlin & Poppleton — WH3, Godfrey (1988), misapplied; > Ilex beadlei W.W. Ashe — Pa, S, S13; > Ilex beadlei W.W. Ashe var. beadlei; > Ilex beadlei W.W. Ashe var. laevis W.W. Ashe; > Ilex buswellii Small — S; > Ilex caroliniana Trel. ex Small — S13; > Ilex mollis A. Gray — Chap3; >< Ilex montana Torr. & A.Gray ex A.Gray, misapplied; > Ilex montana Torr. & A.Gray ex A.Gray var. beadlei (Ashe) Fernald — G; > Ilex montana Torr. & A.Gray ex A.Gray var. mollis (A.Gray) Britton — C, F, Tx. Basionym: Prinos ambiguus Michx. 1803

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC (name change)
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ⓘ: 5