Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Description
“Pet poisonous” – Toxic parts: berries Ilex verticillata is a shrub growing to 1�5 m (3�16 ft) tall. It is one of a number of hollies which are deciduous, losing their leaves in the fall. In wet sites, it will spread to form a dense thicket, while in dry soil it remains a tight shrub. The leaves are glossy green, 3.5�9 cm (1 3?8�3 1?2 in) long, 1.5�3.5 cm (5?8�1 3?8 in) broad, with a serrated margin and an acute apex. The flowers are small, 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter, with five to eight white petals. The fruit is a globose red drupe 6�8 mm (0.24�0.31 in) in diameter, which often persists on the branches long into the winter, giving the plant its English name. Like most hollies, it is dioecious, with separate male and female plants; the proximity of at least one male plant is required to pollenize the females in order to bear fruit.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Aquifoliales
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Family: Aquifoliaceae
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Genus: Ilex
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