BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Ilex ambigua | Carolina Holly 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Carolina holly is a native, deciduous or nearly evergreen, large shrub
or small tree to 18 feet (6 m) tall [7,11].  The branches are
distributed irregularly, forming a rounded crown.  The branches range
from glabrous to densely pubescent.  The bark is dark brown to black,
lustrous, smooth, and flaking on old stems [24].  The leaves are 1.6 to
7.1 inches (4-18 cm) long and 0.59 to 2.7 inches (1.5-7 cm) wide.  The
fruit is a red, translucent, globose drupe 0.2 to 0.36 inch (5-9 mm) in
diameter [17].  The sessile fruits are distributed along the length of
the branches [11].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Carolina holly reproduces by animal-dispersed seed.  It is dioecious
[7].  No specific information is available concerning Carolina holly
seed germination requirements. The seeds of other holly (Ilex spp.)
species exhibit a deep dormancy caused partly by a hard endocarp
covering the seedcoat, and partly by conditions in the embryo.  This
deep dormancy results in extremely slow germination for most hollies; 70
to 95 percent germination was reported for inkberry (I. glabra) when the
germination test was allowed to continue for over 300 days.  Complete
germination often does not occur until the second or even third spring
after sowing [2].

No information on vegetative reproduction of Carolina holly is currently
available.  American holly sprouts from the root crown following
top-kill [9].  Propagation of hollies by cuttings is very common [2].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Carolina holly is occasional in sandy upland woods [3,17].  It occurs on
a wide variety of well-drained sites [7].  Carolina holly occurred in a
sand pine scrub community that had 0 to 1 inch (2.54 cm) of litter and
humus over sand.  It is described as a typical member of xeric hammocks
and scrub communities [14].  A related evergreen species, American
holly, is intolerant of flooding [9].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Facultative Seral Species

Carolina holly is a member of some sand pine scrub communities that are
early successional and maintained by fire [7,8,14,16].  It also occurs
in the mixed hardwood communities ("hammocks") that replace sand pine
scrub when fire is suppressed.  In one study [8], it was reported in the
early stage of a xeric hammock community, but was not present 20 years
later and may therefore not be late-successional in these communities.
Carolina holly was reported as occurring in old-growth red spruce (Picea
rubens)-Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) communities in the Appalachian
Mountains of Virginia [1].  It is possible, however, that the reported
species was actually mountain winterberry (I. montana) rather than
Carolina holly, since this is outside the range of Carolina holly.


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Carolina holly flowers from March to June.  Ripe fruits are available to
wildlife from late summer to December [3,11].  Simpson [19], however,
reports that the fruit falls quickly after ripening.

Related categories for Species: Ilex ambigua | Carolina Holly