Ilex canariensis

Ilex canariensis (Small-leaved Holly),is an endemic species of holly native to Macaronesian islands. It is a species of plant in the Aquifoliaceae family. It is found in Macaronesian islands of Madeira (Portugal) and Canarias (Spain).

Description

This species is known as "acebiño" (Spanish) or azevinho (Portuguese). It is a shrub or small tree up to 6.5 meters tall sometimes 10 m high, evergreen, with gray trunk. as with glossy ovate leaves, 5-7 long by and 2.5–4 cm wide, usually whole rounded edges in the leaves and only a few small spines; iota obtuse or rounded. The leaves have ovate to ovate to lanceolate, bright and whole. The young leaves can be as thorny.

The flowers are small, clustered in axillary inflorescences. The flowers are having four white petals, the flowers are located in subterminal leaf axils. It blooms from May to June. The fruits are globular and red holly. Fruits spherical, about 1 cm wide, fleshy, red and located on stems of 3–8 mm long. There are two sub-species. In the ssp. azevinho (Sol. ex Lowe, Kunkel) the berries may reach 2 cm.