Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Synonyms
Family
Ornamental - It is often used in landscaping and as an ornamental plant. Eco-restoration - It is also used as a windbreak and for erosion control. Food - The leaves can be used to make tea and the berries can be used to make jams and jellies.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan
It can be found in moist forests at altitudes of 600-2100 m asl.
One of the tallest holly species. Stays green all-year round.
It is a dioecious, small evergreen tree that grows up to 10 m tall.
Bark whitish-grey, wrinkled; branchlets glabrous-glabrescent.
Each leaf stands alone (simple) and alternates along the stem in a spiral pattern. Tiny appendages (stipules) flank the base of the slender, smooth leaf stalk. The leaf blade itself varies in shape, ranging from ovate to elliptic or a combination of both. The base can be wedge-shaped or blunt, while the tip tapers to a point. The edges are smooth, and the overall texture is thin and papery, sometimes with fine hairs on the underside.
Both male and female flowers are small and white, with the male flowers typically grouped in clusters of 3-7. The female flowers may have slightly longer stalks and sometimes exhibit fine hairs.
Female plants produce red, offering a colorful contrast to the green foliage.
Flowering: April – May
Fruiting: October