Acebiño, cárisco (Ilex canariensis)

Evergreen shrub or small tree, around 10-12 m tall, bark light greyish-brown and crown regularly branched. Leaves are ovate, glossy, 3-8 cm long, deep green on the top and light green underneath, margins usually entire or with some small spines (generally on young leaves). Leaves often show dark fungal spots. Flowers are white and small. Fruits are round, about 1 cm in diameter, red when ripe and very striking. Native to the Canaries and Madeira, typical of evergreen and fayal-brezal firetree and heath forests, and damp or mixed pine forests. Generally very common, except in Madeira, where it is rare, and in Gran Canaria, where it is localized. Conversely, it is widespread on Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. It mainly grows between 500 and 1,500 m (higher on some islands) and has been found at 350 m on the Desertas Islands (Madeira). There are two recognized varieties: I. canariensis and I. azevinho, both found in Madeira and the Canaries. The branches and young trunks are often used to make farming tools such as poles and pitchforks.