Aquifoliaceae

Ilex inundata Poepp. ex Reissek

Representative Image
Representative image.

Kingdom: Plantae Rank: Species Parent: Ilex Status: Valid

Vegetative Morphology

Habit: Trees to 25 m.

Branch: Stems drying gray to brown, sometimes with short thorn-like projections formed at leaf buds and scars.

Leaves: Leaves simple, alternate; the petioles 1.5-2.0 cm long, black when dry; the lamina elliptic to ovate, 7-10 x 4-5 cm, drying dark brown to nearly black, glabrous, weakly coriaceous; the base rounded to decurrent; the apex generally rounded or short-acuminate, the acumen to 0.2 cm long; the margins entire; the secondary venation lightly to strongly brochidodromous, anastomosing near the margins, same color as lamina, raised adaxially.

Reproductive Morphology

Inflorescence: Staminate inflorescences axillary or ramiflorous, 2-4 fasciculate, racemose cymes, 1.5-2.0 cm long, with 1-3 flowers per branch.

Flowers: Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic, 4-merous; the calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, lightly connate at base, 0.1-0.2 cm long, brown when mature, bark brown to black when dry; the corolla lobes obovate, free at base, early caducous, falling upon movement or touch, 0.4-0.5 cm long, green when immature, whitish-green when mature, brown to black when dry.

Fruit: Fruit not seen.

Seeds: Seeds not seen.

Other

Notes: Collected only one time as a large tree in a mixed, open swamp forest dominated by Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae).