Trees or shrubs, evergreen or deciduous. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite; leaf blade leathery, papery, or membranous, margin entire, serrate, or spinose; stipules minute, persistent or caducous, scar callose; petiole present, rarely absent. Inflorescence a cyme usually of order 1, 2, or 3(-5), respectively composed of a maximum of 1, 3, or 7(-31) developed flowers, axillary, solitary on current year’s branchlets or fasciculate on second year’s branchlets. Plants dioecious. Flowers hypogynous, regular, small, unisexual, by stamens or ovary abortive, 4-6(-23)-merous; calyx persistent; corolla often white or cream, rarely green, yellow, pink, or red; petals imbricate, mostly connate at base up to half of their length. Male flowers: calyx 4-8-lobed; petals 4-8; stamens isomerous, alternating with petals, epipetalous; anthers oblong-ovoid, introrse, longitudinally dehiscent; rudimentary ovary subglobose or pulvinate, rostrate. Female flowers: calyx 4-8-lobed; petals 4-8; staminodes sagittate or cordate, isomerous, alternating with petals, epipetalous; ovary superior, ovoid, 4-8(-10)-loculed, rarely pubescent; style rarely developed; stigma capitate, discoid, or columnar. Fruit a drupe, red, brown, or black (or green in Ilex chapaensis), usually globose; exocarp membranous or papery; mesocarp fleshy. Pyrenes (1-)4-6(-23); endocarp smooth, leathery, woody, or stony, striate, striate-sulcate, or rugose, and/or pitted.

Source: [
• 4
]. 

Fruit drupaceous, of 3 or more 1-seeded pyrenes; seed with copious fleshy endosperm and small straight embryo

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Disk absent

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Ovary superior, 3- or more-celled; style terminal or absent; ovules 1–2 in each cell, pendulous from the apex

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Petals 4 or 5, free or connate at the base, hypogynous, imbricate

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Stamens hypogynous, 4 or 5, alternate with the petals, rarely more numerous, free; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Flowers actinomorphic, hermaphrodite or unisexual, fasciculate or subumbellate or rarely solitary

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Calyx-lobes imbricate

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Trees or shrubs, mostly evergreen

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Leaves alternate, simple; stipules absent, or rarely present

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Male flowers with 4–5(–9) stamens, free or inserted at the base of the corolla-tube, alternating with the petals, hypogynous; anthers dithecous, opening by longitudinal slits; rudimentary ovary 1-locular

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Corolla rotate; petals 4–5(–9), free or joined at the base, imbricate or valvate; disk absent

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, simple; stipules minute or absent

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Trees or shrubs, mostly evergreen, usually practically glabrous

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Calyx-lobes 4–6(–9), imbricate

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or sexes separate, in cymes or fascicles, rarely solitary

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Female flowers: ovary superior, (2–)3(–22)-locular; ovules 1–2 in each locule, pendulous; style terminal or absent; stigma capitate or discoid; staminodes present but anthers sessile or on shorter filaments

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Fruit a drupe with (1–)2–6(–many) 1(–2)-seeded pyrenes

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Seeds with copious endosperm

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Leaves alternate, simple; stipules absent or very small

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Trees or shrubs, mostly evergreen

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Flowers frequently dioecious, actinomorphic, cymose, fasciculate, subumbellate or rarely solitary

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Petals free or connate at the base, imbricate or valvate

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Calyx-lobes imbricate

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Disk absent

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Stamens free, alternate with the corolla-lobes; anthers 2-thecous, opening lengthwise

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Fruit drupaceous

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Ovary superior, 3- or more-locular; style terminal or stigma sessile; ovules 1–2 in each loculus, pendulous from the apex

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Seeds with copious fleshy endosperm and small straight embryo

Source: [
• 3
].