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Holly Holly family
Ilex aquifolium Aquifoliaceae

Holly is an evergreen shrub with prickly leaves and bright red berries, and is traditionally associated with Christmas, with the leaves representing Christ's crown of thorns, and the berries the drops of blood. The male and female flowers are on separate plants (dioecious), thus only the female shrubs bear berries. The flowers are small and white, with the male flower having 4 stamens and the female flower 4 carpels.
The plant is susceptible to the holly leaf miner fly, which lays its eggs on the leaves: the larvae feed on the leaf tissue, resulting in yellowish patches.

Holly plant and flowers Holly berries

Male flowers Female flowers
Male flowers (4 stamens) Female flowers (4 carpels)

Leaf miner damage
Leaf miner damage



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