AQUIFOLIACEAE - - Holly Family

Ilex opaca Aiton — American Holly

American Holly (Ilex opaca) - Tree up to 15 m. tall, with spreading branches and pale-gray bark; leaf-blades 4—10 cm. long, flat or nearly so, rather deeply sinuate; sepals of the pistillate flowers aciminate, ciliate; drupe globose to ovoid-globose, 8—10 mm. in diameter, bright-red, or yellow, nutlets 6—7 mm. long.

Habitat:

In a wide variety of forests, ranging from xeric to wetland.

Habitat information from:
Weakley, Alan S., Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, Working Draft of 21 May 2015.

The range of Ilex opaca (American Holly)

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)].

The Georgia range of Ilex opaca (American Holly)

Zomlefer, W.B., J.R. Carter, & D.E. Giannasi. 2014 (and ongoing). The Atlas of Georgia Plants. University of Georgia Herbarium (Athens, Georgia) and Valdosta State University Herbarium (Valdosta, Georgia). Available at: http://www.georgiaherbaria.org/.