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Ilex verticillata (L.) A.Gray

Winterberry (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Aquifoliales > Aquifoliaceae > Ilex

Characteristics

Shrub to 5 m; lvs round-obovate to elliptic or lance-oblong, usually acuminate, with numerous appressed or salient teeth; staminate fls 4–6-merous, several in each fascicle; pistillate fls 5–8-merous, solitary or few together; sep ciliate; fr bright red, varying to yellow, 7 mm thick; nutlets smooth on the back; 2n=36. Swamps and wet woods. May, June. Four vars.:
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A shrub or small tree. It develops suckers. It loses its leaves during the year. The twigs are light brown and ridged. The leaves are oval and 4-10 cm long. They are finely toothed. The leaves are dark green above and hairy underneath. The flowers are in small clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are berry like. They are red or orange and 5-8 mm across.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.5
Mature height (meter) 2.0 - 2.5
Root system creeping-root
Rooting depth (meter) 0.4
Root diameter (meter) 0.6
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It grows near swamps and along streams. It suits hardiness zones 3-9. Arboretum Tasmania.
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Swamps, low woods and along streams and ponds, growing in wet, wet-mesic, and mesic acidic soils.
Light 4-8
Soil humidity 4-8
Soil texture 2-5
Soil acidity 2-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-7

Usage

The leaves are used for tea. They are dried slowly and crumbled then used for tea. They do not contain caffeine.
Uses environmental use medicinal tea
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use Cathartic (bark), Emetic (bark), Psychological Aid (bark), Antidiarrheal (bark), Respiratory Aid (root), Gastrointestinal Aid (unspecified), Other (unspecified), Antiseptic (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Laxative (unspecified), Sore (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Vermifuge (unspecified), Cancer (unspecified), Aperient (unspecified)
Human toxicity strong toxic (aerial)
Animal toxicity toxic (aerial)

Cultivation

It can be grown from seed or by cuttings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -35
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Ilex verticillata leaf picture by Stephanie (cc-by-sa)
Ilex verticillata leaf picture by chris whipple (cc-by-sa)
Ilex verticillata leaf picture by Taylor (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Ilex verticillata fruit picture by Nick Emeric (cc-by-sa)
Ilex verticillata fruit picture by spacecadet236 (cc-by-sa)
Ilex verticillata fruit picture by Jennifer Hopkins (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Ilex verticillata world distribution map, present in Canada, France, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and United States of America

Conservation status

Ilex verticillata threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:83852-1
WFO ID wfo-0001078505
COL ID 3PG33
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 762020
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Prinos confertus Prinos prunifolius Prinos gronovii Ilex bronxensis Prinos verticillatus Ilex fastigiata Prinos padifolius Ilex verticillata var. fastigiata Ilex verticillata var. verticillata Ilex verticillata var. padifolia Prinos verticillatus var. tenuifolius Ilex verticillata var. tenuifolia Ilex verticillata var. aurantiaca Ilex verticillata var. cyclophylla Prinos verticillatus var. dubius Ilex verticillata

Lower taxons

Ilex verticillata subsp. tenuifolia
WorldFloraDB 2024