Korea Flora: Evergreen tree. Height 10m. Winter Buds and Stems: Buds short, less than 1mm long. Branches glabrous, dark brown. Leaves: Alternate, thick, elliptic or oblong, apex acute, base cuneate, 5.5-7.5(11)cm × 3.5-4cm. Both surfaces glabrous; midrib sunken above, prominent beneath; margins entire; turning brown when dry. Petiole 10-20mm long. Flowers: Dioecious, cymes axillary on new branches, shorter than leaves. Flowers 4mm in diameter, purple; sepals and petals 4-5 each, petals longer than sepals and reflexed; stamens 4-5, large in staminate flowers but reduced in pistillate flowers. Ovary globose, green. Peduncle 5-6mm long. Fruit and Seeds: Fruits globose, 5-8mm in diameter, ripening red.

Flowering Period: May-June
Fruiting Period: October
Distribution: Vietnam, Central and Southern China, Taiwan, Western Honshu southward to Okinawa (Japan); Jeju Island and Jeollanam-do (Korea)

Taxonomic Notes: Ilex rotunda and Ilex integra are similar trees that can be misidentified. Ilex rotunda has dark red young branches with well-developed secondary veins on leaf undersides and relatively long (1-2cm) petioles, while Ilex integra has green young branches with less distinct secondary veins and slightly reddish, shorter petioles (0.5-1.5cm).