Ilex or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. Ilex has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are See more

The genus Ilex is divided into three subgenera:
• Ilex subg. Byronia, with the type species Ilex polypyrena
• Ilex subg. Prinos, with 12 species
• Ilex subg. Ilex, with the rest of the species See more

• Ilex ambigua - Southeastern USA
• Ilex amelanchier - Southeastern USA
• Ilex anomala (Hawaii)
• Ilex aquifolium – European holly, English holly, Christ's thorn … See more

Often the tropical species are especially threatened by habitat destruction and overexploitation. At least two species of Ilex have become extinct recently, and many others are … See more

Ilex in Latin means the holm-oak or evergreen oak (Quercus ilex). Despite the Linnaean classification of Ilex as holly, as late as the 19th … See more

The phylogeography of this group provides examples of various speciation mechanisms at work. In this scenario ancestors of this group became isolated from the remaining … See more

The genus is distributed throughout the world's different climates. Most species make their home in the tropics and subtropics, with a worldwide distribution in temperate zones. The greatest diversity of species is found in the Americas and in Southeast Asia. See more