Himalayan holly
Ilex dipyrena
Family: Aquifoliaceae
What it is like
An evergreen tree. It grows to about 10 m high. It has rough, dark grey bark. The leaves have stalks. They are oval or sword shaped. There are spiny teeth around the edges on young parts. The flowers are greenish white. They occur in round clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit is fleshy with a hard covering over the seed. The fruit is round when ripe. It is red. The stone has grooves along it.
There are about 400 Ilex species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. Plants grow in Nepal between 2000-3300 m altitude. It grows in forest areas. It suits hardiness zones 7-10. In Sichuan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Nepal, SE Asia, Tibet
How it is used for food
The ripe fruit are eaten.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed.
Its other names
Local names
Kaliso, Kande liso, Lekh chotra