Ilex asprella is a densely branched deciduous
shrub that grows up to 3 m tall. The long shoots are
glabrous, brown, and slender, while the short shoots are green with significant white
lenticels. The leaves are thin-
chartaceous, glandular-punctate on the back, ovate, measuring 4 to 5 cm in length and 1.5 to 2.5 cm broad. The leaf apex is
acuminate, the base
cuneate, the margin serrulate, hirsute on adaxial nerves and nearly glabrous beneath.
Petioles are 3 to 8 mm long. The leaves have
Reticulate veins with 6 to 8 pairs of pinnate lateral veins. Flowers are white and arranged in axillary
umbels with slender
pedicels, dioecy. Male flower: 2 to 5 flowers each inflorescence and measure approximately 2.5 to 3 mm in diameter. They are glabrous with 4 or 5 suborbicular petals, margin
erose, corolla rotate, base slightly connate;
stamens ca. 3/4 as long as petals, anthers oblong and ca. 1 mm. Female flower: 4 to 6 flowers each
inflorescence, glabrous, ca. 3 mm in diameter; flowers 4-6;
calyx deeply 4 to 6 lobed; corolla rotate, petals suborbicular, basal slightly connate;
staminodes ca. 1 mm, sterile anthers sagittate; ovary ovoid, ca. 1.5 mm in diameter, style present, stigma thickly discoid.
Drupe black and globose,
endocarp stony, 5 mm long, 4 mm across, pedicel 2 to 3 cm long. == Distribution ==