モチノキ科モチノキ属の常緑高木で、学名は Ilex rotunda。英名は Dwarf Chinese holly。
The Dwarf Chinese holly (Ilex rotunda) belongs to Aquifoliaceae (the Holly family). It is a tall evergreen tree that is distributed from Kanto district of Honshu west to Shikoku, Kyushu of Japan, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and China. This tree grows in field and mountains and can reach about 10 m in height. Bark is smooth, grayish-brown and has lenticels. Leaves are elliptic, alternate and have acute tips. Small pale purple flowers on the axils come in May to June. Fruits are drupes and ripen bright red in fall to winter. Birdlime is made from the barks. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "鐵冬青", and "鐵冬青" (tie dong qing) in Chinese.