Holly, common name for a family of plants, containing about 300 species, and for its typical genus. The holly family consists of trees and shrubs usually having separate staminate and separate pistillate flowers that are small in size, four- to eight-parted in structure, and white or greenish in color. The fruit are usually red drupes, containing two to eight one-seeded stones. English holly is a small tree with spiny evergreen leaves and bright-red fruit. The common American holly has duller, less spiny leaves. It is native to the eastern United States, where it has been harvested so extensively that several states enforce protective laws. Both species of holly are widely cultivated for ornamental purposes. A South American species, the Paraguay tea, has stimulant properties and is used to make an aromatic beverage, maté.Scientific classification: Hollies make up the family Aquifoliaceae. English holly is classified as Ilex aquifolium, the common American holly as Ilex opaca, and the Paraguay tea as Ilex paraguariensis.
