stevenmyint
Fruits and Leaves of a Ilex ambigua or "Carolina Holly"
The photo reveals the leaves and fruits of the Carolina Holly with the picture taken from the UNCW campus. This species is commonly dispersed in the southeastern coastal region of the United States, primarily because this holly grows well in sandy soils. So as to their dispersion pattern, these hollies tend to hug to the coast from North Carolina down to Texas.
Here we can observe the defense mechanism this plant had used to defend itself from herbivores; with it's genetically modified spines at the edge of the leaf. The hard coating and the thorny spine deters herbivores who may have chomped on this form of leaf once, or it's recent cousins, and does not want to experience the ordeal. So, in a sense, mimicry the Carolina holly could be employing some sort of mimicry that not only serves to defend itself, but to warn others that it is just as deadly as it's cousins. Another interesting note is that some of the spines of the leaf seems to be less threatening than other leaves. This may be due to the environment at which the holly grew in. Seeing as there is no herbivores running about in the campus chomping on the leaves, the investment of creating really sharp thorns seems to have lessen in value. A trade-off in energy for something else, such as a larger surface area of the leaf to capture more sunlight. For this reason, one might find that one holly plant has different forms of modified leaves, some very narrow and sharp, while others broad and dull.
Then at last there is the fruiting body, which seems to contradict the reason for leaves. If the holly wants to disperse it's seeds by presenting what seems to be appetizing fruits (unless the coloration of red is to ward off predators) why would it set up defensive guards to deter animals from eating fruits? Say a bird is attracted to the bright red fruit of the holly, it's going to have to dig through the thorny leaves to get to the fruit, potentially discouraging the bird's venture. Perhaps the holly's intention is to disperse the fruit by letting it ripen to maturity afterwards falling onto the ground, but this method does not allow for a dispersion, as the seed is in the same soil as the parent. Maybe the holly plant is testing their consumers, by providing obstacles in the way of the fruit so that the strongest animal, which are more likely to survive or travel, may be capable of digging through the leaves to obtain the fruit; which would put the seeds inside the digestive tract of a strong animal.
Why some leaves on the holly plant is prickly while others are not:
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/121220-holly-leaves...
Why holly plants are prickly: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/9740540/Why-is-h...
Classification of the holly plant: www.thespruce.com/eighteen-species-holly-trees-and-shrubs...
Fruits and Leaves of a Ilex ambigua or "Carolina Holly"
The photo reveals the leaves and fruits of the Carolina Holly with the picture taken from the UNCW campus. This species is commonly dispersed in the southeastern coastal region of the United States, primarily because this holly grows well in sandy soils. So as to their dispersion pattern, these hollies tend to hug to the coast from North Carolina down to Texas.
Here we can observe the defense mechanism this plant had used to defend itself from herbivores; with it's genetically modified spines at the edge of the leaf. The hard coating and the thorny spine deters herbivores who may have chomped on this form of leaf once, or it's recent cousins, and does not want to experience the ordeal. So, in a sense, mimicry the Carolina holly could be employing some sort of mimicry that not only serves to defend itself, but to warn others that it is just as deadly as it's cousins. Another interesting note is that some of the spines of the leaf seems to be less threatening than other leaves. This may be due to the environment at which the holly grew in. Seeing as there is no herbivores running about in the campus chomping on the leaves, the investment of creating really sharp thorns seems to have lessen in value. A trade-off in energy for something else, such as a larger surface area of the leaf to capture more sunlight. For this reason, one might find that one holly plant has different forms of modified leaves, some very narrow and sharp, while others broad and dull.
Then at last there is the fruiting body, which seems to contradict the reason for leaves. If the holly wants to disperse it's seeds by presenting what seems to be appetizing fruits (unless the coloration of red is to ward off predators) why would it set up defensive guards to deter animals from eating fruits? Say a bird is attracted to the bright red fruit of the holly, it's going to have to dig through the thorny leaves to get to the fruit, potentially discouraging the bird's venture. Perhaps the holly's intention is to disperse the fruit by letting it ripen to maturity afterwards falling onto the ground, but this method does not allow for a dispersion, as the seed is in the same soil as the parent. Maybe the holly plant is testing their consumers, by providing obstacles in the way of the fruit so that the strongest animal, which are more likely to survive or travel, may be capable of digging through the leaves to obtain the fruit; which would put the seeds inside the digestive tract of a strong animal.
Why some leaves on the holly plant is prickly while others are not:
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/121220-holly-leaves...
Why holly plants are prickly: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/9740540/Why-is-h...
Classification of the holly plant: www.thespruce.com/eighteen-species-holly-trees-and-shrubs...