About 600, see text
Ilex ( /ˈaɪlɛks/), or holly, is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones worldwide.
Read more about Holly: Description, Etymology, Ecology, Miscellaneous, Selected Species, Gallery
Famous quotes containing the word holly:
“The holly and the ivy
Are plants that are well known
Of all the trees that grow in the woods
The holly bears the crown.”
—Unknown. The Holly and the Ivy (l. 1–4)
“in the holly prickles
You can plainly see
The crown of thorns our Saviour wore”
—Unknown. The Holly and the Ivy (l. 13–15)
“and the oxen near
The worn foundations of their resting-place,
The holy manger where their bed is corn
And holly torn for Christmas. If they die,
As Jesus, in the harness, who will mourn?
Lamb of the shepherds, Child, how still you lie.”
—Robert Lowell (1917–1977)