Ilex kaushue S. Y. Hu

Trees evergreen, ca. 8 m tall. Branchlets brown, strong, subterete, longitudinally ridged and sulcate, puberulent; terminal buds conical, large, pubescent, apically acute; bud scales serrulate. Leaves on first to second year’s branchlets; petiole 2-2.2 cm, abaxially subrounded, rugose, adaxially sulcate, pubescent; leaf blade abaxially greenish, adaxially green and shiny, oblong to oblong-elliptic, 10-18 × 4.5-7.5 cm, leathery, midvein raised and keeled abaxially, impressed and sparsely puberulent adaxially, lateral veins 14 or 15 pairs, prominent on both surfaces, reticulate veins evident on both surfaces, base obtuse or cuneate, margin doubly serrate or densely serrate, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Inflorescences: cymes pseudopaniculate or pseudoracemose, axillary on current year’s branchlets; flower buds glomerate; bracts basal, broadly ovate or suborbicular, ciliate. Male inflorescences: cymes of order 2 or 3, 3- or 4(-7)-flowered, pseudopaniculate; peduncles 1-2 mm; pedicels 1.5-3 mm, minutely puberulent; bracteoles ovate-lanceolate, minutely ciliate; calyx patelliform, deeply 4-lobed, lobes broadly ovate-deltoid, ca. 1.5 × 2 mm, membranous; petals 4, ovate-oblong, ca. 3.5 mm; stamens 4, shorter than petals, anthers ellipsoidal; rudimentary ovary ovoid. Female flowers not known. Infructescences: 1-fruited cymes, pseudoracemose; rachis strong, 4-6(-9) mm; fruiting pedicels (4-)8 mm, thick, pubescent or glabrescent. Fruit red, globose, ca. 11 mm, 9-12 mm in diam., densely puberulent; exocarp fragile when dry; persistent calyx explanate, 4-5 mm in diam., lobes deltoid, sparsely ciliate; persistent stigma navel-like; pyrenes 4, oblong, ca. 7.5 mm, 4-5 mm in diam., abaxially reticulately striate and sulcate, laterally rugose and pitted, endocarp stony. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Jul-Oct.

Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, SE Yunnan.

● Dense forests; 1000-1200 m.

Ilex latifolia Thunberg f. puberula W. P. Fang & Z. M. Tan.

Ilex kaushue is a species of plant in the holly family, Aquifoliaceae, which is used to make a very bitter tea called kuding. It is native to southern China and northern Vietnam, growing in dense forests, a tree up to 8 metres (26 ft) tall.