holly leaves and holly berries - _MG_5338

2007-10-27 10:02:58
used here, here

and here i thought it was merely an ornamental bush. from the wikipedia entry on holly:


In many western cultures, holly is a traditional Christmas decoration, used especially in wreaths. Many of the hollies are highly decorative, and are widely used as ornamental plants in gardens and parks. The wood is heavy, hard and white; one traditional use is for chess pieces, with holly for the white pieces, and ebony for the black. Other uses include turnery, inlay work and as firewood. Looms in the 1800s used holly for the spinning rod. Because holly is dense and can be sanded very smooth, the rod was less likely than other woods to snag threads being used to make cloth.

Several American holly species are used to make various caffeine rich teas. The South American I. paraguariensis is used to make yerba mate, a common drink. I. guayusa is used both as a stimulant and as an admixture to the entheogenic tea ayahuasca; The leaves of I. guayusa have the highest caffeine content of any known plant. In North and Central America, I. vomitoria, Yaupon, was used by southeastern Native Americans as a ceremonial stimulant and emetic known as the black drink. As the name suggests, the tea's purgative properties were one of its main uses…

copyright © 2007 sean dreilinger