Vern.: ‘Kanderu’.

A small to medium sized tree. Bark dark grey and rough. Shoots and twigs puberulous, glabrate. Leaves alternate, elliptic-lanceolate, 6.5-12 x 2.6-3.7 cm, coriaceous, margin spinose, thickened and slightly revolute, sometimes entire (in older leaves), subacuminate, midrib prominent on undersurface, impressed above, lamina glabrous and shiny above. Petiole 2-4 mm long, minutely pubescent. Flowers bi- or unisexual, in axillary globose clusters, whitish-green, 4-merous, bracteoles 2, triangular ovate, ± 1 mm long, pubescent. Petals obovate, connate at the base, free in the female flowers. Stamens adnate basally to the petals. Ovary ovoid, stigma sessile. Drupe globose, 10-12 mm broad, red-scarlet; pyrenes 2, plano-concave, 6 x 5mm, back deeply ribbed.

Fl. Per.: April-June.

Type locality: Described from Nepal.

Distribution: The Himalayas from the Indus eastwards to Bhutan.

The ‘Himalayan Holly’ is occassionally found in moist shady places (as ravines in forests etc.) from 1700-3100m. The attractive scarlet-red fruits along with the twigs are sometimes sold as decorations during the Christmas season.