{{Short description|Species of plant}} {{Speciesbox |image=Ilex perado.jpg |image_caption= ''Ilex perado'' subsp. ''azorica'' |genus=Ilex |species=perado |authority=[[William Aiton|Aiton]]<ref name=ipni>{{cite web |title=''Ilex perado'' | url=https://www.ipni.org/n/83622-1 |website=[[International Plant Names Index]] |publisher=The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries and Australian National Botanic Gardens |access-date=24 October 2020}}</ref> |status = LC |status_system = IUCN3.1 |status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Rivers, M.C. |date=2017 |title=''Ilex perado'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T62382A81867981 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T62382A81867981.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> |synonyms = {{hidden begin}} *''Ilex azorica'' <small>Gand.</small> *''Ilex perado f. umbrosa'' <small>P. Silva & Q. G. P. Silva</small> *''Ilex perado iberica'' <small>Loes.</small> *''Ilex platyphylla subsp. lopezlilloi'' <small>G. Kunkel</small> *''Ilex perado var. lopezlilloi'' <small>(Kunkel) S. Andrews</small> *''Ilex perulera'' <small>Molinari</small> *''Ilex maderensis'' <small>Lam.</small> *''Ilex crassifolia'' <small>Meerb.</small> *''Ilex perado'' <small>Webb & Berthel.</small> *''Ilex platyphylla'' <small>Webb & Berthel.</small> {{hidden end}} |synonyms_ref = <ref name="CoL">{{cite web |title=Ilex perado Sol. ex Aiton |url=https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/3PFSS |publisher=[[Catalogue of Life]] |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>}}
'''''Ilex perado''''', the '''Macaronesian holly''', is a species of [[holly]] endemic to [[Macaronesia]], distributed throughout the [[Azores]], [[Madeira]] and [[Canary Islands|Canary]] islands. It is an important component of the natural high-altitude Macaronesian rainforest, known as '[[laurisilva]]', found mostly at {{convert|500|to|1200|m|0|abbr=on}} altitude but it also appears in forest formations at lower elevation. Many of the subspecies have been classified as threatened, probably because of very small population sizes, and are protected by local, national and regional legislation.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />
==Description== ''Ilex perado'' is a small [[evergreen]] tree growing up to {{convert|7|-|10|m|0|abbr=on}} in height, occasionally up to {{convert|15|m|ft}}, it is [[dioecious]] and has white to pink flowers and red [[toxic]] [[berries]], slightly bigger than those of a [[common holly]]<ref name=Biopolis>{{cite web |title=''Ilex perado'' Aiton ssp. ''perado'' |url=http://www3.uma.pt/biopolis/planta.php?id=730 |publisher=Projecto Biopolis |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=''Ilex perado platyphylla'' |url=https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/ilex-perado-platyphylla/ |publisher=earth.com |access-date=23 October 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="revistajardins">{{cite web |title=Uma planta, uma história: Azevinho da Madeira |date=28 December 2018 |url=https://revistajardins.pt/uma-planta-uma-historia-azevinho-da-madeira/ |publisher=revistajardins.pt |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> Its leaves are oblong, leathery dark green on top and a lighter color on the bottom and it as a smooth, grey trunk.<ref name=uma>{{cite web |title=Ilex perado Aiton ssp. perado |url=http://www3.uma.pt/biopolis/planta.php?id=730 |publisher=[[University of Madeira]] |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>
==Distribution and habitat== ''Ilex perado'' is native to the Azores, where it is found in all of the islands, the island of [[Madeira Island|Madeira]] (mostly in the central and northern parts) and the Canary Islands in northern [[Tenerife]], [[La Gomera]] and [[La Palma]]. It grows on steep slopes and in the bottom of ravines, in areas with moist soils. It is a common tree of [[laurisilva]] and high-altitude forests and can reach non-laurisilva stands in Madeira into the [[heath]].<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /><ref name=uma />
There are 4 known subspecies:
*''I. perado'' subsp. ''perado'' – Endemic to the Madeira archipelago. The population is stable and is thought to be much less than 10,000 adult individuals.<ref name=Biopolis/><ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /> *''I. perado'' subsp. ''azorica'' <small>([[Loes.]]) [[Tom Tutin|Tutin]]</small> (synonym ''Ilex azorica'' {{small|Gand.}}) – Native to all of the Azorean islands.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Ilex perado'' subsp. ''azorica'' |url=https://acores.flora-on.pt/#/1Ilex+perado |publisher=flora-on |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref> *''I. perado'' subsp. ''lopezlilloi'' <small>(G. Kunkel) A. Hansen & Sunding</small> – Endemic to [[La Gomera]]. Extremely threatened subspecies with only two known specimens found in the wild. Assessed as '[[critically endangered]]' by the IUCN.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /><ref name=canarias>{{cite web |title=''Ilex perado'' |url=http://www.arbolappcanarias.es/en/species/info/ilex-perado/ |publisher=arbolappcanarias |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref> *''I. perado'' subsp. ''platyphylla'' <small>(Webb & Berthel.) Tutin</small> (synonym ''Ilex platyphylla'' {{small|Webb & Berthel.}}) – Native to [[La Palma]], [[La Gomera]] and [[Tenerife]] in the Canary Islands. Assessed as '[[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]]' by the [[IUCN]].<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /><ref name=canarias/>
Records of the species from the [[Iberian Peninsula]] (as ''Ilex perado'' subsp. ''iberica'') are thought to be misidentified and refer to [[Ilex aquifolium|''I. aquifolium'']].<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />
This species has numerous subspecies that are thought to potentially be separate species, but more research is needed to determine if this is in fact true. Research has been carried out for ''Ilex perado'' subsp. ''azorica'', indicating that it differs genetically from the subpopulations on the Canary Islands.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />
The species has been cultivated in Britain since 1760 (thriving well in the [[Isle of Wight]]), and is also grown in [[Ireland]], the Iberian Peninsula, and South America.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /><ref>{{cite web |title=''Ilex perado'' Ait. |url=https://treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/ilex/ilex-perado/ |publisher=Trees and Shrubs Online |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref>
{{Gallery |File:Ilex perado subsp. perado kz03.jpg|Foliage of ''subsp. perado'' |File:Ilex perado.jpg|''subsp. azorica'' specimen |File:Ilex perado kz1.JPG|''subsp. platyphylla'' |File:Ilex lopezlilloi.jpg|Specimen of ''subsp. lopezlilloi'' |File:Ilex perado ssp. platyphylla 2.jpg|Trunk }}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q10301054}}
[[Category:Ilex|perado]] [[Category:Endemic flora of Macaronesia]] [[Category:Flora of the Azores]] [[Category:Flora of Madeira]] [[Category:Flora of the Canary Islands]] [[Category:Trees of Europe]] [[Category:Plants described in 1789]]