Ilex mucronata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ilex mucronata | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
Ilex mucronata (L.) M.Powell, Savol., & S.Andrews |
||||||||||||||
Synonyms | ||||||||||||||
Nemopanthus mucronatus |
Ilex mucronata (Mountain Holly or Catberry) is a species of holly native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota, and south to Maryland and West Virginia.[1]
It was formerly treated in its own monotypic genus as Nemopanthus mucronatus (L.) Loes., but transferred to Ilex on molecular data;[2] it is closely related to Ilex amelanchier.[3]
It is a deciduous shrub growing to 3 m (rarely 4 m) tall. The leaves are 1.5-7 cm long and 1-3 cm broad, with an entire or finely serrated margin and an acute apex, and a 0.5–2 cm petiole. The flowers are inconspicuous, whitish to greenish-yellow, produced on slender peduncles 25 mm or more long; it is usually dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is a red drupe 6–7 mm diameter containing three to five pits.[4][5][6]
The name Mountain Holly is also sometimes used for the related Mountain Winterberry (Ilex montana).
[edit] References
- ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Ilex mucronata
- ^ Powell, M., Savolainen, V., Cuénod, P., Manen, J. F., & Andrews, S. (2000). The mountain holly (Nemopanthus mucronatus: Aquifoliaceae) revisited with molecular data. Kew Bulletin 55: 341-347.
- ^ Gottlieb, A. M., Giberti, G. C., & Poggio, L. (2005). Molecular analyses of the genus Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) in southern South America, evidence from AFLP and ITS sequence data. Amer. J. Bot. 92: 352-369. Available online.
- ^ Northern Ontario Plant Database: Ilex mucronata.
- ^ Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Nemopanthus mucronatus.
- ^ Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission: Supplement to key to common wetland shrubs of Wisconsin (pdf file).