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Ilex mucronata

Species of holly

Species of holly

Ilex mucronata, the mountain holly or catberry, is a species of holly native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota, and south to Maryland and West Virginia.

Taxonomy

It was formerly treated in its own monotypic genus as Nemopanthus mucronatus (L.) Loes., known as "false holly", but transferred to Ilex on molecular data; it is closely related to Ilex amelanchier.

Description

Ilex mucronata is a deciduous shrub growing to 3 m (rarely 4 m) tall (or 6 to 10 feet high from the "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" by Dr. Michael Dirr.) The leaves are alternate, simple, elliptic to oblong, (1 to 2.5" long and three-fourths as wide) 1.5–7 cm long and 1–3 cm broad, with an entire or finely serrated margin and an acute apex, and a 0.5–2 cm (1/4 to 1/2" long) petiole. The tiny flowers about 1/5" in diameter with four to five petals are inconspicuous, whitish to greenish-yellow, produced on slender peduncles 25 mm or more long; it is usually dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is a red drupe 6–7 mm (1/4 to 1/3") diameter containing three to five pits.

Habitat

The plant does best in full sun, or part shade is good. It usually grows in moist or draining wet acid soils, often with the similar species of common winterberry, Ilex verticillata, but is also found on upland cliffs and slopes on hills and mountains. It develops a yellow autumn color. It is recommended for use in naturalistic landscapes. Its USDA hardiness zone recommendation is zones 4 to 6. The name "mountain holly" is also sometimes used for the related mountain winterberry (Ilex montana).

References

References

  1. Stritch, L.. (2018). "''Ilex mucronata''".
  2. {{GRIN
  3. (2000). "The mountain holly (''Nemopanthus mucronatus'': Aquifoliaceae) revisited with molecular data".
  4. (2005). "Molecular analyses of the genus Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) in southern South America, evidence from AFLP and ITS sequence data". American Journal of Botany.
  5. Meades, Susan J.. "''Ilex mucronata''".
  6. Glenn, Steven D.. (2013). "''Nemopanthus mucronatus''". Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
  7. Leitner, L. A.. "Supplement to key to common wetland shrubs of Wisconsin". Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.
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ilex flora-of-the-great-lakes-region flora-of-eastern-canada flora-of-the-northeastern-united-states flora-of-michigan flora-of-maryland flora-of-west-virginia flora-of-new-jersey flora-without-expected-tnc-conservation-status
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