Ilex opaca

Ilex opaca
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Order:	Celastrales
Family:	Aquifoliaceae
Genus:	Ilex
Species:	I. opaca
Binomial name
Ilex opaca Aiton
Natural range of Ilex opaca from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: American holly

Description

I. opaca is a upright evergreen tree that is commonly known as the Christmas holly. It is the only native holly in the U.S. to have spiny green, leathery leaves and bright red berries . The fine-textured wood is ideal for inlays in cabinetwork, carvings and vanier .

Ecology

Habitat

Ideal habitats are moist, acidic, well-drained soils such as mesic hammocks, sand pine-oak woods, bordering floodplains, deciduous woodland on limestone, and mesic steepheads (FSU Herbarium). Soils include sandy loam, loam, medium loam, and does not favor well in clay<ref name="wildflower">(FSU Herbarium).

Pollination

The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Ilex opaca var. arenicola at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):

Apidae: Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens

Colletidae: Colletes banksi, C. brimleyi

Halictidae: Augochloropsis metallica, Augochloropsis sumptuosa

Megachilidae: Megachile petulans

Sphecidae: Cerceris rozeni, Gorytes dorothyae ruseolus, Hoplisoides denticulatus denticulatus, H. placidus placidus, Liris argentata, L. muesebecki, Pseudoplisus smithii floridanus, Tachysphex apicalis, T. similis, Tanyoprymnus moneduloides

Vespidae: Pachodynerus erynnis

References and notes

Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.