| Ilex laevigata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Aquifoliales |
| Family: | Aquifoliaceae |
| Genus: | Ilex |
| Species: | I. laevigata |
| Binomial name | |
| Ilex laevigata (Pursh) A.Gray | |
Ilex laevigata(Pursh) A. Gray, commonly referred to as smooth winterberry, is a plant species in the Aquifoliaceae (holly family). It is native to the eastern United States, ranging from coastal areas of Maine to Georgia. [1]
This deciduous species grows in naturally moist areas, such as seepage swamps, wet flatwoods, and nonriverine swamps. [2] It is closely related to and can occur alongside lookalike species Ilex verticillata, the winterberry holly. The surface of the leaves of Ilex laevigata are smooth, their flower sepals occur without cilia (hairs) on their margins, and the autumn fruits, once ripened in autumn and winter, are a scarlet or orange-red rather than a deep red of other deciduous hollies. [3]
