Please identify tree species?

Jun,

Are you sure? I googled Ilex asperella, and there isn't much. I did find http://www.hkflora.com/qef/site_peak/plant/show_plant.php?plantnum=12341 , and I don't see many similarities. I don't know this species and leaves may be variable. P's photo of the trunk certainly looks like a holly, but I keep going back to those spines at the nodes. I've never seen a holly do this, but I'm no holly expert either - especially if it's some obscure tropical species.

I still want to know if the sap and wood are yellow when cut.

R

If you google on Mahonia philippinensis, I'm pretty sure that's what he's got.
Iris

hi Russel,
Yes the wood is a bit light yellow,the texture and smell is quite similar to guava,hardy type,the new leaf, are quite soft and light purple has it mature it turns to green and harden with thorns at the edges,FYIAm confuse cause here in our side thet keep saying Phil. Holly???Thanks Guys for Sharing

Regards,
Alex/Ogie

bonsaisr wrote:If you google on Mahonia philippinensis, I'm pretty sure that's what he's got.
Iris

Iris, can you provide the link? I can find info about alkaloids, but no description or pictures. Alex, that yellow sap does point to mahonia/barberry (Berberidaceae). Do you have any pictures of flowers or fruit, or a plant growing wild or in a garden? If this is a tropical mahonia, it is unlike anything we grow here. Just because it's called a "holly" doesn't make it one. Remember, like it was mentioned earlier, we call one of our mahonias "grape holly" because the fruit looks like grapes and the leaves look like holly leaves!

R

Just to back up Russell's point about holly-like leaves and grape-like flowers, here's a pic of my garden variety (Mahonia x media in this instance). The stem of berries is just lying on top of the flowers. Most of the berries are long past.



Hope the pic is of some use as I just got absolutely soaked taking it. It's the Scottish monsoon season just now.

Will this do?
I thought I had seen a picture, but I must have been thinking of the original picture, which is obviously a Mahonia. Let's put this to rest. It is the species he has.
Home > Name Search > Mahonia philippinensis Takeda
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English
Mahonia philippinensis Takeda
Details

Group: Dicot Rank: species Herbarium Placement: Lehmann, lower, E, 93

Published In: Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh 6(29-30): 244, pl. 32, pl. 36, f. 218-222. 1917. (Jan. 1917) (Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh)
Type-Protologue
Locality: Philippine Islands: Luzon: Benguet
Collector and Number: Loher 60
Institution(s): HT: K?
Note: and Elmer 5929; Williams 1460
Higher Taxa: Taxonomy Browser
Concept:
class: Equisetopsida C. Agardh
subclass: Magnoliidae Novák ex Takht.
superorder: Ranunculanae Takht. ex Reveal
order: Ranunculales Juss. ex Bercht. & J. Presl
family: Berberidaceae Juss.
genus: !Mahonia Nutt.
Iris

Russel,

I'll try to get pictures of the flower & fruit for you,van't see much in garden around here,quite rare,difficult tosee in low lying area,but will try,Thanks for the info

Fiona,

Thanks a lot,hope you didn't catch a cold,appreciate much for the picture & info,keep well.

Iris.

Thanks for the extensive details of the specie,we've learned much


Great to be member in this forum,people share a lot & learn from each other
Regards,
Alex/Ogie

bonsaisr wrote:Will this do?
I thought I had seen a picture, but I must have been thinking of the original picture, which is obviously a Mahonia. Let's put this to rest. It is the species he has.

Not so fast, Iris.

Actually, without a picture it won't do for me, but thanks. I haven't seen any picture that is "obviously a Mahonia" (in this thread anyway) as you state. Interestingly, there is a Berberis philippinensis AND a Berberis barandana listed too. Alex's pics don't look like any Mahonia I'm familiar with, but it does look like a Berberis.

R

Russell,
there's a new specie here of Ilex endemic to the Philippines found and listed in the early 80's, which got the same characteristics as the one we used in bonsai. I got lots of these philippine holy specie in my nursery.

Il do more research here (locally) though.

regards,
jun

Hi Russell,
will await for you guys help,the one Fiona posted is quite differnt from what i have,i doubt if it's a Philippine holly,lots of people around here name it that waystill a big ???? to me
Kind regards,
Alex

Alex,

I agree that what Fiona posted is very different from what you show us here, that's the problem! Fiona's picture is typical of the Mahonias available to us (in the non-tropical world) for landscaping. You said that your tree has yellow wood and sap. That's a good way to identify plants at are members of the barberry family that includes nandinas, mahonias and barberries to name a few. If your plant is indeed a Mahonia as Iris insists, it is unlike any Mahonia I've ever seen - both in leaf and growth structure. That certainly does not mean that it isn't possible!

I did google "Ilex philippinensis" and found this - http://www.asianplant.net/Aquifoliaceae/Ilex_cymosa.htm . I still don't think this is a holly (Ilex) for the reasons I've already stated, and certainly not I. philippinensis/cymosa.

R

Russell,
Thanks for the link,totally diffrent,will try to research more at my end,much appreciate all your help

Regards,
Alex