Ilex Crenata (Japanese Holly) 犬黄楊（イヌツゲ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are the female flowers of ilex crenata or more commonly known as the Japanese holly or box-leaved holly. I saw its beautiful black berries last winter near the Imperial Palace, but I didn't know at that time that it produces such beautiful tiny flowers. 

Japanese hollies are dioecious, i.e., having separate male and female plants, so they have male and female flowers. I was able to find the female flowers, but couldn't find male ones...

Ilex crenata female flowers 犬黄楊の雌花

Ilex Crenata (Japanese Holly) 犬黄楊（イヌツゲ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are the berries of ilex crenata or more commonly known as the Japanese holly or box-leaved holly at the garden of the Parliamentary Museum in Tokyo. Red berries can be seen in many places, but not such black ones.

The berries of Japanese holly and those of buxus microphylla (or the Japanese box or littleleaf box) look very similar, but they're different in how leaves are formed. Japanese holly is alternate-leaved as opposed to Japanese box being opposite-leaved. As the leaves in these photos have an alternate arrangement, they're Japanese holly. I needed to go to the museum twice to find out which one the tree was😂.    

11/6 Japanese holly berries 犬黄楊の実