''Ilex triflora'' is a plant in the family Aquifoliaceae, native to tropical Asia. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''triflora'' means 'three-flowered'.

Description

''Ilex triflora'' grows as a shrub or tree up to tall, sometimes as an

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

. The bark is smooth. The leathery leaves are elliptic to

ovate Ovate may refer to: *Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovat ...

and measure up to long. The inflorescences, in

cymes An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed on ...

, feature purple to pink to white flowers. The roundish fruits are purple to black.

Distribution and habitat

''Ilex triflora'' is native to a wide area from the Assam region east to southern China and south to the Maluku Islands. Its habitat is in hill and montane forests, at elevations to .

References

triflora Flora of Assam (region) Flora of Bangladesh Flora of East Himalaya Flora of China Flora of Indo-China Flora of Malesia Plants described in 1827 Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Blume {{Ilex-stub