Ilex rotunda seed

LATIN NAME: Ilex rotunda

COMMON NAME: Kurogane Holly, Round-Leaved Holly

The Kurogane holly is a handsome and stately evergreen of the eastern Asian forests, and its glossy, dark-green foliage and its fine, upright form have made it a valued tree of the garden and the avenue. It grows as an evergreen tree of the holly family, reaching up to fifteen metres, with a conical or upright crown of glossy, leathery, oval, entire leaves, lacking the spines of the typical hollies, and, in the warm season, the small, inconspicuous, whitish or greenish flowers, the trees being either male or female, followed, on the female trees, by the small, round, glossy, red or black berries, which feed the birds. It is a species of the holly family, native to the eastern Asia, where it is found in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, and its natural habitat is in the evergreen broadleaf forests, often in the sunny areas such as the forest edges or on the mountain slopes.

The Kurogane holly belongs to the holly family, Aquifoliaceae, and it is an evergreen tree, native to the eastern Asia, where it is found in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is commonly called the Kurogane holly, and its natural habitat is in the evergreen broadleaf forests, often in the sunny areas such as the forest edges or on the mountain slopes, while it is prized for its glossy foliage and its fine, upright form.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The Kurogane holly has a genuine and growing place in both horticultural and ecological research. It has been studied in horticulture, since it is a handsome and stately evergreen of the garden and the avenue, prized for its glossy foliage and its fine, upright form, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its growth and its value in the landscape, while its use as a street tree and in the hedges and the topiary has been examined, and the glossy, spine-free foliage of the tree has drawn attention in the international gardening press as a fine evergreen of the garden. The tree has also been studied in ecology, since it is a native of the evergreen broadleaf forests, and researchers have examined its growth, its role in the forest community and its value to the wildlife, while the berries of the tree feed the birds of the forest, and the study of the eastern Asian forests and their trees has been of continuing interest. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the holly family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined. For a tree of such handsomeness, the Kurogane holly has a steady and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the Kurogane holly is a handsome tree of the eastern Asian forests. Its glossy crown gives shelter, and its small, round berries feed the birds, while it is a stately presence in the evergreen broadleaf forests and the forest edges of its home.

Its economic value is real. It is a valued tree of the garden, the park and the avenue, prized for its glossy foliage and its fine, upright form, and it has drawn attention in the international gardening press as a fine evergreen of the garden, while it is also used in the hedges and the topiary. For a grower, the Kurogane holly is a rewarding and stately tree, and for a gardener it brings glossy, dark foliage and a fine, upright form. The seeds need a spell of cold and a little patience — keep them in damp compost in the fridge for about three months, then sow them in a pot of moist, gritty, free-draining compost in a sunny or lightly shaded spot, and they’ll sprout slowly, growing on into a handsome, glossy-leaved tree.

 

 

 

 

 

Ilex rotunda (Kurogane holly or round leaf holly) is a smooth evergreen tree from the holly genus, reaching 18 m at maturity (although 20 m is also reported). It has spineless leaves and clusters of bright-red berries.

Kurogane holly was first described in 1784 by Carl Peter Thunberg, from species growing in Japan. It was first introduced to gardens of the New World through collections sent by Robert Fortune.

The tree blossoms in April and the seeds become ripe from October to December. The flowers are dioecious. The fruits contain flavonols. In Japan, kurogane holly is one of the hibakujumoku trees. It is also the official tree of several Japanese municipalities.

Ilex koshunensis Yamamoto; I. microcarpa Lindley & Paxton; I. rotunda var. microcarpa (Lindley & Paxton) S. Y. Hu; ?I. rotunda var. sinensis Masamune; I. sasakii Yamamoto; I. unicanaliculata C. J. Tseng.