Holly (Ilex) occurs as genus of astir 400 coinage of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae. It is shrubs and trees from Two-25 m tall, by using the wide distribution inside Asia, Europe, north Africa, and North and South America. A leaves are simple, & may be either deciduous or evergreen depending on the species, & can be entire, finely toothed, or even sustaining widely-spaced, spine-tipped leaves. Hollies come mostly dioecious, with male & female flowers on different plants, using occasionally exceptions. Pollination is mainly by bees and more insects. A fruit is a small berry, usually red while mature, sustaining a single to ten seeds.

Holly berries come mildly toxic & may stimulator emesis and/or looseness of the bowels whenever ingested by people (note the scientific title of the Yaupon Holly!). Yet it is pleasantly significant food for many metal money of birds, and too come eaten by more uncivilized beast. In a fall & early winter the berries come difficult & apparently sage hen. Fallowing existence frozen or even frosted many days, a berries weaken, & turn into eatable. In the period of wintertime storms, birds often choose refuge inside hollies, which provide shelter, protection from predators (by the spinous leaves), & food. A flowers come every now and again eaten per larva of the Double-striped Pug moth.

Uses
Numerous of the hollies come extremely decorative, & come widely utilized when ornamental plants around gardens and parks. A wood is heavy, protective & whiten; 1 traditional apply is (together by having ebony) for chess pieces, with holly for the whiten pieces, & ebony for the black. More utilizes include turnery, inlay function & when firewood. A South U.s. We. paraguariensis is utilized to produce yerba mate, a drink similar to tea.