Ilex pubilimba Merr. & Chun

Trees evergreen, 6-15 m tall. Branches terete, strong, densely dark yellow hirsute-pubescent; terminal buds small, densely pubescent. Leaves on first to second year’s branchlets; stipules caducous; petiole 3-6 mm, densely pubescent; leaf blade abaxially pale, adaxially cinereous-olivaceous, shiny when dry, elliptic, rarely ovate-elliptic or lanceolate, 3-7 × 1.5-2.5 cm, thickly leathery, abaxially pubescent, midvein adaxially impressed and pubescent, lateral veins 6-8 pairs, obscure adaxially, base rounded, obtuse, or cuneate, margin crenate-serrate, slightly recurved, apex shortly acuminate. Inflorescences: cymes, fasciculate, axillary on second year’s branchlets; bracts ovate or suborbicular, densely pubescent; flowers yellow-white, 4-merous. Male inflorescences: cymes of order 1 or 2, 1-3-flowered; peduncles 0.5-1 mm; pedicels 2-3 mm; bracteoles 2, basal; calyx patelliform, 1.5-2 mm, 4-lobed, lobes orbicular, pubescent, ciliate; corolla rotate, ca. 6 mm in diam., petals narrowly elliptic, ca. 2.5 mm, ciliate, basally slightly connate; stamens slightly shorter than petals, anthers ovoid; rudimentary ovary conical, ca. 1 mm in diam., apex obtuse. Female inflorescences: 1-flowered cymes; calyx and corolla as in male flowers; staminodes ca. 1/3 as long as petals, sterile anthers ovoid; ovary subglobose, ca. 1.75 mm in diam., sparsely pubescent, stigma discoid, convex. Fruit depressed globose, 5-6 mm, 7-8 mm in diam.; fruiting pedicel 3-5 mm, pubescent; persistent calyx orbicular, explanate, ca. 2 mm in diam., 4-lobed, ciliate; persistent stigma thinly discoid, rounded; pyrenes 4, subglobose or narrowly ellipsoid, 4-5 mm, 3.5-4 mm in diam., rugose, abaxially flattened and slightly impressed, endocarp woody. Fl. Mar, fr. Aug-Oct.

Dense forests; middle elevations. Hainan [Vietnam].

Ilex hirsuticarpa Tardieu.