- Ilex decidua
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Ilex decidua 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Aquifoliales Family: Aquifoliaceae Genus: Ilex Species: I. decidua Binomial name Ilex decidua
Walter
Synonyms Ilex curtissii (Fern.) Small
Ilex decidua Walter var. curtissii Fern.Ilex decidua (Meadow Holly, also called "possumhaw", "deciduous holly" or "swamp holly") is a species of holly native to the United States.
Contents
Description
Leaves of Ilex decidua
Distinguishing features of this species are crenate leaf margins and fruiting pedicels that are 2–8 mm long.[1] Its "distinctive leaf shape... is less variable than other species of holly".[2] Leaves are obovate,[3] simple, alternating, deciduous, and grow to 2.5-7.5 cm long.[2]
Drupe fruits are red (or rarely yellow), shiny, and globose (spherical, or nearly so), with a diameter of 4–8 mm.[1][2] The pulp is bitter; they contain 3-5 seeds and mature in autumn.[2]
Slender twigs are glabrous and silvery gray, with "numerous spur shoots", pointed lateral buds, and acuminate scales.[2]
Bark is "light brown to gray" in color and may be smooth or "warty and roughened".[2]
Distribution and ecology
Drawing of Ilex deciduaIlex decidua is a common plant,[1] growing in the US in Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.[4]
It grows in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Coahuila.[5]
It prefers land in floodplains and the margins of swamps or lakes, and grows at elevations up to about 360 m.[1][2] Other plant species with which possumhaw is associated include water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), overcup oak (Quercus lyrata), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and hackberry (Celtis spp.).[6]
The fruits attract songbirds.[3] Deer browse on young twigs.[2]
Human use
Ilex decidua with red "berries"Because of the attractive "berries", the tree is used as a winter ornamental plant, and branches are collected for use as Christmas decorations.[2] The wood is not useful commercially because of the tree's small size.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d Duncan, Wilbur H. and Marion B. Duncan (1988). Trees of the Southeastern United States. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press. pp. 304–305. ISBN 0820314692.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Brown, Claud L.; L. Katherine Kirkman (1990). Trees of Georgia and Adjacent States. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 178–179. ISBN 0881921483.
- ^ a b "NPIN: Ilex decidua (Possumhaw)". http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ILDE. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "PLANTS Profile for Ilex decidua (possumhaw)". Natural Resources Conservation Service. United States Department of Agriculture. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ILDE. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "Ilex decidua information from NPGS/GRIN". Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?19700. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "FDEP Featured Plant: Florida Hollies". Florida Department of Environmental Protection. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wetlands/delineation/featuredplants/ilex.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
External links
Media related to Ilex decidua at Wikimedia Commons 
Data related to Ilex decidua at WikispeciesCategories:- Ilex
- Ornamental trees
- Trees of Alabama
- Trees of Arkansas
- Trees of Chihuahua
- Trees of Coahuila
- Trees of Florida
- Trees of Georgia (U.S. state)
- Trees of Indiana
- Trees of Illinois
- Trees of Louisiana
- Trees of Maryland
- Trees of Missouri
- Trees of North Carolina
- Trees of Oklahoma
- Trees of South Carolina
- Trees of Texas
- Trees of Virginia
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