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Aquifoliaceae (from Aquifolium, Tournefort's name for the genus Ilex, application obscure). Holly Family. Fig. 34. Trees or shrubs, with alternate or opposite, simple, often evergreen leaves: flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, very small, axillary, solitary or fascicled, rarely cymose; sepals 3-6, more or less connate; petals 4-5, nearly separate, imbricated; stamens 4-5, alternating with the petals, and sometimes adhering to them, hypogynous disk wanting, ovary superior, 3 to many-celled, each cell 1-2-ovuled; stigma subsessile, lobed: fruit berry-like; seeds albuminous.
Three genera are known and about 280 species, of which 275 belong to the genus Ilex. These are widely distributed, but rare in Europe, the center of distribution being in Central and South America. Ten species are found wild in the northeastern United States. The Aquifoliaceae are related to the Celastraceae and the Anacardiaceae, from which they are distinguished by the absence of the hypogynous disk and by the general appearance.
Ilex Aquifolium of Europe is used there for hedges and for indoor decoration. I. opaca is used for indoor decoration in this country. The leaves of both are thick, glossy, evergreen and spiny-toothed. I. paraguariensis furnishes mate, which is the tea of South America. It was early cultivated by the Jesuits (1609- 1768), and is even yet one of the most important cultivated plants of South America. Other species of Ilex have been used in various parts of the world for medicine because of their astringent qualities and bitter principle.
Many species of Ilex (Holly, Dahoon, Cassena, Yaupon, Winterberry, Black Alder), and one of Nemopanthus (Mountain Holly) are grown as cultivated plants in America, all for ornamental purposes.
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