Ilex hyrcana
Ilex hyrcana Pojark., a botanical name published in 1947, is currently treated as a heterotypic synonym of Ilex spinigera (Loes.) Loes. by Plants of the World Online, following the World Checklist of Vascular Plants.[1]
Ilex spinigera, the currently accepted name, was published in its present combination in 1919. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the holly family Aquifoliaceae, native from the Caucasus to northern Iran.[2][3]
The species is known in English as the Persian holly or Iranian holly,[3] and in Persian as Persian: خاس, romanized: khās.[4]
It occurs in the Hyrcanian forests. A modern floristic study records the species from Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan in Iran, as well as the Talysh region, at elevations from 30 to 2,018 metres.[5] An official Iranian country report submitted to the Food and Agriculture Organization also lists Ilex spinigera among the tree and shrub species of Mazandaran Province.[6]
Description
Ilex hyrcana typically grows in the understory of broadleaf temperate forests across the Caspian basin. Characterized by glossy, spiny-toothed leaves and small berry-like fruits, it is adapted to humid sub-mediterranean microclimates and nutrient-rich forest soils.[7] It plays a role in forest biodiversity and provides habitat and food for regional avian and insect species.
Conservation
Due to habitat fragmentation, forest degradation, and land-use shifts in the Hyrcanian ecoregion, local populations of Ilex hyrcana face ecological pressures, making its monitoring important for biodiversity conservation in northern Iran.[8]
References
- ↑ "Ilex hyrcana Pojark". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ "Ilex spinigera (Loes.) Loes". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Ilex spinigera". Trees and Shrubs Online. International Dendrology Society. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ Rahbari, Shohreh; Basiri, Reza; Habashi, Hashem; Mozayyan, Maleeha (2025). "Assessment of the Spatial Structure of Species Diversity Indices Using Geostatistics in Exploited and Undisturbed Stands of the Shast-Kalateh Forest, Gorgan". Management of Natural Ecosystems. 5 (2): 32–43. doi:10.22034/emj.2026.733584.
- ↑ Ghorbanalizadeh, Atefeh; Akhani, Hossein (2022). "Plant diversity of Hyrcanian relict forests: An annotated checklist, chorology and threat categories of endemic and near endemic vascular plant species". Plant Diversity. 44 (1): 39–69. doi:10.1016/j.pld.2021.07.005. PMC 8897184. PMID 35281126.
- ↑ Jafari, Mostafa (13 June 2012). Forest Genetic Resources in Iran (PDF) (Report). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. p. 48. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ Browicz, K. (1982). Chorology of Trees and Shrubs in South-West Asia and Adjacent Regions. Polish Scientific Publishers. ISBN 978-8301039868.
- ↑ Sefidi, K. (2014). "Conservation status and stand structure of understory evergreen flora in Hyrcanian forests". Forest Ecology and Management. 310: 88–95.