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The Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) belongs to Aquifoliaceae (the Holly family). It is a semi-tall evergreen tree that is native from Honshu west to Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan, as well as Taiwan, the southern Korean Peninsula and southeastern China. This tree is usually a small tree, rarely it can reach about 15 m in height. It is also tolerant severe pruning, and used as a topiary (trees molded into three dimensional forms). The leaves are alternate, elliptic to oblong with several low toothed edges. The pale yellowish-white flowers bloom in the axils of new branches from June to July. The fruits are globose drupes and ripen black. The Japanese common name is derived from "inu" (inferior) + "tsuge" (Japanese boxwood). It is called "假黃楊" in Taiwanese Chinese and "歯葉冬青" (chi ye dong qing) in Chinese.
In Korean, it's called "kkwang-kkwang-na-mu" (꽝꽝나무). The leaves are thick, and when placed on a fire, they crackle and pop loudly as they burn-which is how they got their name.

Photos 14th, 17th-18th, and 21st-22nd show a gall "Inutsuge-metamafushi", an insect fly created by Inutsuge-tamabae.
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