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'''''Ilex aquifolium''''' ('''Holly''', or '''European Holly''' to distinguish it from related species, may also be called Christmass Holly or Mexican Holly) is a species of [[holly]] native to western and southern [[Europe]], northwest [[Africa]] and southwest [[Asia]].<ref name=fe>Flora Europaea: [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Ilex&SPECIES_XREF=aquifolium&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= ''Ilex aquifolium'']</ref><ref name=mc>Med-Checklist: [http://ww2.bgbm.org/mcl/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=1263&PTRefFK=1273 ''Ilex aquifolium'']</ref><ref name=rushforth>Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.</ref><ref name=fnwe>Flora of NW Europe: [http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=3088 ''Ilex aquifolium'']</ref>

'''''Ilex aquifolium''''' ('''Holly''', or '''European Holly''' to distinguish it from related species, may also be called Christmass Holly or Mexican Holly) is a species of [[holly]] native to western and southern [[Europe]], northwest [[Africa]] and southwest [[Asia]].<ref name=fe>Flora Europaea: [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Ilex&SPECIES_XREF=aquifolium&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= ''Ilex aquifolium'']</ref><ref name=mc>Med-Checklist: [http://ww2.bgbm.org/mcl/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=1263&PTRefFK=1273 ''Ilex aquifolium'']</ref><ref name=rushforth>Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.</ref><ref name=fnwe>Flora of NW Europe: [http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=3088 ''Ilex aquifolium'']</ref>

It is an [[evergreen]] [[tree]] growing to 10-25 m tall and 40-80&nbsp;cm (rarely 1 m or more) trunk diameter, with smooth grey bark. The [[leaf|leaves]] are 5-12&nbsp;cm long and 2-6&nbsp;cm broad, variable in shape; on young plants and low branches, with three to five sharp spines on each side, pointing alternately upward and downward; on higher branches of older trees with few or no spines except for the leaf tip, often entire.<ref name=rushforth/><ref name=fnwe/>

It is an [[evergreen]] [[tree]] growing to 10-25 m tall and 40-80 cm (rarely 1 m or more) trunk diameter, with smooth grey bark. The [[leaf|leaves]] are 5-12 cm long and 2-6 cm broad, variable in shape; on young plants and low branches, with three to five sharp spines on each side, pointing alternately upward and downward; on higher branches of older trees with few or no spines except for the leaf tip, often entire.<ref name=rushforth/><ref name=fnwe/>

The [[flower]]s are [[plant sexuality|dioecious]], white, four-lobed, and pollinated by bees. The [[fruit]] is a red [[drupe]] 6-10&nbsp;mm diameter, containing four pits; although mature in late autumn, they are very bitter due to the ilicin content<ref>Heinz, A. (1975).  ''Drogenkunde''. W. de Gruyter ISBN 313566001X</ref>, and so are rarely touched by [[bird]]s until late winter after [[frost]] has made them softer and more palatable.

The [[flower]]s are [[plant sexuality|dioecious]], white, four-lobed, and pollinated by bees. The [[fruit]] is a red [[drupe]] 6-10 mm diameter, containing four pits; although mature in late autumn, they are very bitter due to the ilicin content<ref>Heinz, A. (1975).  ''Drogenkunde''. W. de Gruyter ISBN 313566001X</ref>, and so are rarely touched by [[bird]]s until late winter after [[frost]] has made them softer and more palatable.

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Ilex aquifolium, Linn. English Holly. Tree, to 40 ft., with short, spreading branches, forming an oblong or pyramidal head, in cult, often shrubby, glabrous: lvs. short-petioled, usually ovate or oblong- ovate, waved and with strong, spiny teeth,- shining, in. long: fr. scarlet, globular, shining. May, June. a. and Cent. Eu., W. Asia, China.—A very variable species. Osmanthus aquifolium, Sieb. & Zucc., an oleaceous shrub, which may readily be known by its opposite Ivs., is occasionally supplied by dealers as a variety of Ilex Aquifolium.

Ilex aquifolium, Linn. English Holly. Tree, to 40 ft., with short, spreading branches, forming an oblong or pyramidal head, in cult, often shrubby, glabrous: lvs. short-petioled, usually ovate or oblong- ovate, waved and with strong, spiny teeth,- shining, in. long: fr. scarlet, globular, shining. May, June. a. and Cent. Eu., W. Asia, China.—A very variable species. Osmanthus aquifolium, Sieb. & Zucc., an oleaceous shrub, which may readily be known by its opposite Ivs., is occasionally supplied by dealers as a variety of Ilex Aquifolium.

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