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Holly family
Aquifoliaceae
ใขใใใญ็ง
A family consisting solely of the genus Ilex. About 400โ600 species are known, distributed widely in tropical to temperate regions. Ilex integra, I. crenata, I. pedunculosa, and I. rotunda are native to Japan. Red fruits are eaten by birds for seed dispersal.
Key Characteristics
- โEvergreen or deciduous woody plants (trees to shrubs)
- โLeaves often with serrate or spinose margins
- โFlowers small, 4โ6-merous
- โFruits red to black berries (drupes)
- โMostly dioecious
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values โ multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate / Opposite / Whorled
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Dentate / Serrate / Entire
Growth form
Shrub / Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf dissection
Dissected / Undivided
Stipules
Present / Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Petal count
4 petals / 5 petals / Many / No petals
Petal fusion
Free
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
3-4 / 5 / 7-10
Plant sex
Dioecious / Monoecious
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Aquifoliales > Aquifoliaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (ca. 80 Ma onwards)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ใปDevelopment of bird dispersal via fleshy fruits
- ใปDefense against herbivores through spinose leaf margins
Plants in Holly family on this site
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