A possibly rare holly from Diane, in SC

This bush or possibly small tree grows in dappled shade among mature hardwoods in the SC Piedmont region. There were only 3 fruits still attached to the plant when this photo was taken June 26, 2015.
I very much appreciate your time.

Hi Diane,

I could be wrong, but this looks to me to be a rather uncommon shrub called Ilex amelanchier, the Sarvis Holly.  It is considered rare in most states where it occurs.  If it is this, the fruit should turn red when mature.  Please look at this and other sites on Google and, if possible, let me know if you have indeed found a colony of it:  http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/ilam.html  You can respond to me directly at srhill50@msn.com, if you wish.  I don’t think I have seen it in South Carolina personally, but it is known mostly from the sandhills region.  As usual, I welcome other opinions.

Sincerely,

Steve Hill, Botanist, SCNPS

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