Ilex

views updated May 29 2018

Ilex (family Aquifoliaceae) A genus of trees and shrubs in which the leaves are leathery, and mostly evergreen. The flowers are usually tetramerous. The fruit is a berry. The genus includes ornamentals (holly is mainly I. aquifolium) and the source of yerba maté, a tea-like infusion from the leaves of I. paraguariensis. Several have close-grained, white timber. There are about 400 species. Their distribution is cosmopolitan, but they are absent from N. America.

ilex

views updated Jun 27 2018

ilex XIV. — L.

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