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Ilex cassine

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Aquifoliales Family: Aquifoliaceae Genus: Ilex

dahoon, dahoon holly

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Evergreen shrub or treelet usually to 4.5(–10) m tall. plants vary from low shrubs to trees with open, wide–branched crowns.

Stems: Bark often whitish, young stems usually pubescent.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades obovate–oblong to oblanceolate, 5–12 cm long x 2–3.5 cm wide. Apex rounded or slightly notched. Upper surfaces glabrous, dark green; lower surfaces pubescent ± whitish gray; blades papery to leathery. Margins entire or apex weakly toothed, rarely with a few small teeth in the upper half. Petiolate. Stipules minute.

Flowers: Flowers in stalked clusters in leaf axils or along stem between leaves; staminate flowers to 15 per cluster; pistillate flowers 1–5 per cluster; peduncles flattened, 1.3–5 cm long. Flowers unisexual, ca 5 mm in diameter. pedicels ca. 2–6 mm long with 2 bracteoles below the middle, these 2–3 mm long. Sepals persistent. Petals white or greenish, usually as many as sepals; rotate, connate at base, caducous. Stamens as many as petals, inserted at the base of the corolla, staminodia in pistillate flowers similar to fertile stamens, but usually smaller. Ovary superior; 4-celled.

Fruit: Fruit red to yellow in stalked clusters; globose; 6–7 mm in diameter; stones 1–4; ribbed. Seeds with abundant oily or proteinaceous endosperm.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

O'ahu Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean
Birds

Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Pumehana Imada
  • Native to the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the southeastern and eastern US and reported from Cuba and the Bahama Islands. Planted along highway from Hilo to Volcano, Hawai‘i and in Honolulu, O‘ahu and now reported to be naturalizing [Imada, et al].

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 125 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:222 (O?, H? [planted but not nat.]); Imada et al. 2000:9 (NEWNAT/O, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:129 (KEY), 130 (DESCR)

Wagner, W. L., Herbst, D. R., & Sohmer, S. H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, Vols. 1 and 2 (No. Edn 2). University of Hawai'i and Bishop Museum Press.

Staples, G., & Herbst, D. R. (2005). A Tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press.

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Ilex cassine Kakaako Street tree Preserved_Specimen Tree, ca. 2m ht; flowers white; fruits green ripening to yellow then red Allison, A. Oahu BISH 2021-06-01
2 Ilex cassine Schofield Barracks, East Range Eroded slope on edge of flat, grassy, alien-dominated ridge. Preserved_Specimen Kawelo, K. 14 Oahu BISH 2005-04-21
3 Ilex cassine Foster Botanic Garden Preserved_Specimen A tree 7 m. tall. Major limbs suberect. Secondary branches branching out at right angles to the major limbs. Petals white. Flowers odorless (noon). Lau, J. 1590 Oahu BISH 1985-11-04
4 Ilex cassine Kakaako Street tree Preserved_Specimen Tree, ca. 2m ht; flowers white; fruits green ripening to yellow then red Allison, A. Oahu BISH 2021-06-01
5 Ilex cassine Helemano Forest Reserve above NCTAMS Mixed alien and native forest above NCTAMS military reservation Preserved_Specimen Bright red berries naturalized by population is currently small approx. 20 individuals Ching-Harbin, S. 2020120301 Oahu BISH 2020-12-03
6 Ilex cassine Pauoa Flats near junction of Pauoa Flat Trail with Aihualama Trail Wet lowland secondary forest. Preserved_Specimen Small trees with long, arching branches to 6 meters tall, often with root suckers. Leaves glossy green above, new leaves reddish. Corolla lobes white, 4, alternating with stamens. Disk area greenish-yellowish Some branches rooting when in contact with soil. About 8 plants, growing in an area originally planted by H. Lyon with swamp-adapted species. This area is still boggy in level areas. OED 2012061401 Oahu BISH 2012-06-14
7 Ilex cassine Whitmore Village Along old dirt road about 1/2 mile from fence, on left side. Disturbed vegetation with Eucalyptus, bamboo, Ardisia, traveler's palm, Tibouchina herbacea, Clidemia hirta. Preserved_Specimen Tree 2.5 m tall; basal trunk diam. 10 cm. Fruits dark red, 5 mm diam. Keir, M. 1 Oahu BISH 1998-12-16
8 Ilex cassine Hickam Nursery Preserved_Specimen Fruit bright red. Pearsall, G.A. Oahu BISH 1949-08-12
9 Ilex cassine Puna District, land of Olaa, along Highway 11 to Volcano 17.4 miles from Hilo Preserved_Specimen Shrubby tree with glossy, dark-green foliage; bright red fruit. Herbst, D.R. 5603 Hawaii BISH 1975-12-16
10 Ilex cassine Foster Botanic Garden Preserved_Specimen A tree 7 m. tall. Major limbs suberect. Secondary branches branching out at right angles to the major limbs. Petals white. Flowers odorless (noon) Lau, J. 1590 Oahu BISH 1985-11-04
11 Ilex cassine Lyon Arboretum, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen 8 m. height, 12' dbh. Nagata, K.M. 144 Oahu BISH 1966-08-08
12 Ilex cassine Lyon Arboretum, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen 8 m. height, 12' dbh. Nagata, K.M. 144 Oahu BISH 1966-08-08
13 Ilex cassine Wahiawa, California Ave., former H.S.P.A. nursery Preserved_Specimen Frs. Globose, 1+/- in. diam. McEldowney, G.A. Oahu BISH 1952-09-10
14 Ilex cassine Wahiawa, Public Gardens Preserved_Specimen Berries shiny, bright red. Potter, C. Oahu BISH 1961-10-10
15 Ilex cassine H.S.P.A. nursery Preserved_Specimen Fr. Bright red. Pearsall, G.A. Oahu BISH 1949-06-10
16 Ilex cassine Wahiawa, former H.S.P.A. nursery Preserved_Specimen Fr.: red berry, stigma 4-parted, calyx 4-pointed. Korte, K.H. Oahu BISH 1953-10-02
17 Ilex cassine Wahiawa, Public Gardens Preserved_Specimen Lvs. Shiny-green above, lighter and dull beneath and hairy; no fls. or fr. Potter, C. Oahu BISH 1961-10-10
18 Ilex cassine Wahiawa, Public Gardens Preserved_Specimen Lvs. Shiny-green above, lighter and dull beneath and hairy; no fls. or fr. Potter, C. Oahu BISH 1961-10-10
19 Ilex cassine Aiea, 98-851 Iliee St., residence of William and Peggy Jones Preserved_Specimen A single trunked tree 5 m. tall with a rounded crown planted as a street tree. Lau, J. 2064 Oahu BISH 1986-02-24
20 Ilex cassine Naturalized along the Hilo to Volcano Hwy at about the 18 mile marker Preserved_Specimen Red fruit. Stemmermann, R.L. 6931 Hawaii BISH 1985-04-04
21 Ilex cassine Honolulu, Akala St., just S of King St., residential area Preserved_Specimen Tree planted in sidewalk opening, ca 12' tall; crown rather sparse open, lvs yellowish-green; fruits green turning yellow then reddish Staples, G.W. 942 Oahu BISH 1994-07-05
22 Ilex cassine Honolulu, 3860 Old Pali Rd Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Oahu BISH 1957-03-31
23 Ilex cassine Kilauea Military Camp. Between Theater & Fire Stn Preserved_Specimen Stemmermann, R.L. 7016 Hawaii BISH 1985-06-16
24 Ilex cassine Wahiawa Preserved_Specimen Lyon, H.L. Oahu BISH 1955-10-12
25 Ilex cassine Wahiawa Preserved_Specimen Pearsall, G.A. Oahu BISH 1954-09-20
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