Tetracoccus ilicifolius
| Tetracoccus ilicifolius | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Picrodendraceae |
| Genus: | Tetracoccus |
| Species: | T. ilicifolius |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetracoccus ilicifolius Coville & Gilman | |
Tetracoccus ilicifolius is a rare species of flowering shrub in the family Picrodendraceae known by the common names hollybush[1] and holly-leaved tetracoccus. It is endemic to Inyo County, California, where it is known only from Death Valley National Park. It grows in scrub and other desert habitat. There are fewer than ten occurrences, but despite its rarity it is not currently considered endangered by any specific threats.[2] It is a branching shrub, hairless in texture except for the new twigs, which have woolly brownish hairs. The shiny, leathery leaves are oppositely arranged or borne in whorls along the branches. Each leaf is oval with a toothed margin and measures 1.5 to 3 centimeters long. The plant is dioecious, with male and female individuals producing different types of flowers. The staminate flowers occur in dense clusters, each flower with 7 to 9 lance-shaped sepals and 7 to 9 stamens. The pistillate flower occurs singly and produces a rounded, woolly brown fruit with usually four chambers. The fruit is around a centimeter long when mature and contains one or two seeds per chamber.
References
- ↑ "Tetracoccus ilicifolius". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ↑ The Nature Conservancy