Quercus ilex L. subsp. ilex

Spice Male flower Fruit In the field

Family: FAGACEAE

Genus: Quercus

Catalan common name: Alzina.

Spanish common name: Encina.

Province distribution: Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Girona. Tarragona.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): North Mediterranean

Uses and properties: Furniture, construction and tools. Medicinal.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Macrophanerophyte.

Habitats: Oakforest. Rock crevices and cliff faces. Tree heather maquis and silicolous garigues. Holm oak forest. In places with more than 500 mm of rain.

Characteristics: This ilex, or holm oak, has an elongated leaf, dark green on the obverse, greatly enervated on the reverse (more that 8 pairs). These characters allow it to be distinguished from subsp. ballota, which has more rounded leaves, greyish green on the obverse, and grey with few nerves on the reverse. In any case, the great variability in leaf morphology always complicates identification.