Ilex cassine
L.
Aquifoliaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Cassine
General Information
Ilex cassine is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 10.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Known Hazards
Although no specific reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, the fruits of at least some members of this genus contain saponins and are slightly toxic. They can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and stupor if eaten in quantity[
274- Title
- Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
- Website
- http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
- Publisher
- Botanical Research Institute, Texas.
- Year
- 1999
- ISBN
- 1-889878-01-4
- Description
- An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
].
Although poisonous, saponins also have a range of medicinal applications and many saponin-rich plants are used in herbalism (particularly as emetics, expectorants and febrifuges) or as sources of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins are also found in a number of common foods, such as many beans.
Saponins have a quite bitter flavour and are in general poorly absorbed by the human body, so most pass through without harm. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins.
Saponins are much more toxic to many cold-blooded creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish and make them easy to catch[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Botanical References
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
82- Title
- Manual of the Trees of N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sargent. C. S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Dover Publications Inc. New York.
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- 0-486-20278-X
- Description
- Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
South-eastern N. America - Virginia to Florida, west to Texas.
Habitat
Cold swamps and on their borders in rich moist soils. Occasionally also found on high sandy banks of pine barren streams[
82- Title
- Manual of the Trees of N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sargent. C. S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Dover Publications Inc. New York.
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- 0-486-20278-X
- Description
- Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating |  |
Medicinal Rating |  |
Habit | Evergreen Tree |
Height | 10.00 m |
Growth Rate | Slow |
Pollinators | Bees |
Self-fertile | No |
Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Tolerates most soils that are not water-logged[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
A slow-growing and generally short-lived species in the wild[
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
].
Resents root disturbance, especially as the plants get older[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
]. It is best to place the plants into their permanent positions as soon as possible, perhaps giving some winter protection for their first year or two[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Flowers are produced on the current year's growth[
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
].
Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut right back into old wood if required[
188- Title
- The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brickell. C.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-86318-386-7
- Description
- Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
].
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Edible Uses
The dried roasted leaves can be used as a tea substitute[
161- Title
- Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Yanovsky. E.
- Publisher
- U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
- Year
-
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
,
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. Some caution is advised since it can cause dizziness and have a laxative effect[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Medicinal
The leaves are hypnotic and laxative[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
,
192- Title
- Narcotic Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Emboden. W.
- Publisher
- Studio Vista
- Year
- 1979
- ISBN
- 0-289-70864-8
- Description
- A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.
].
A strong decoction of the plant was used by some native North American Indian tribes to induce vomiting. This was seen partly as a physical and partly a spiritual cleansing[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
The plant has been used as a soap[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. No more information is given.
Wood - soft, light, close-grained, not strong[
82- Title
- Manual of the Trees of N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sargent. C. S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Dover Publications Inc. New York.
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- 0-486-20278-X
- Description
- Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
]. It weighs 30lb per cubic foot[
235- Title
- An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
- Publication
-
- Author
- Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications. New York.
- Year
- 1970
- ISBN
- 0-486-22642-5
- Description
- Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
]. Of no commercial importance[
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. It can take 18 months to germinate. Stored seed generally requires two winters and a summer before it will germinate and should be sown as soon as possible in a cold frame. Scarification, followed by a warm stratification and then a cold stratification may speed up the germination time[
78- Title
- Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sheat. W. G.
- Publisher
- MacMillan and Co
- Year
- 1948
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
,
80- Title
- Hardy Woody Plants from Seed.
- Publication
-
- Author
- McMillan-Browse. P.
- Publisher
- Grower Books
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-901361-21-6
- Description
- Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
]. The seedlings are rather slow-growing. Pot them up into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame for their first year. It is possible to plant them out into a nursery bed in late spring of the following year, but they should not be left here for more than two years since they do not like being transplanted. Alternatively, grow them on in their pots for a second season and then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Give them a good mulch and some protection for their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of almost ripe wood with a heel, August in a shaded position in a cold frame. Leave for 12 months before potting up.
Layering in early autumn. Takes 2 years.
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