OregonFlora: Berberis darwinii

	Berberis darwinii
	Darwin's barberry
Habit	Shrubs 10–30 dm.
Stems	dimorphic, with short axillary shoots; twigs densely tomentose; bud scales 2–4 mm, deciduous; spines present, pedately 5–9-fid.
Leaves	simple; blades obovate, 1-veined from base, 1.7–3.0 × 0.9–1.2 cm; thick and rigid, bases acute or acuminate; margins reflexed, undulate; each margin with 2–4 1–3 mm teeth or shallow lobes, tipped with 1.2–1.6 × 0.2–0.3 mm spines; glossy and smooth abaxially; glossy and green adaxially; tips obtuse or rounded in outline; petioles 0.1–0.3 cm.
Inflorescences	10–20-flowered, 3–4 cm; bracts acuminate.
Stamens	filaments without lateral teeth.
Fruits	globose, 6–7 mm, dark purple.

	Berberis darwinii
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Shrublands, open coastal woodlands. Flowering Mar–Jun. 0–100 m. Est. CA, WA; South America. Exotic. Berberis darwinii is a popular hedge plant in coastal gardens, and it has escaped in several places along the U. S. Pacific coast. Once established, it can spread by underground runners to form thickets.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 376 Alan Whittemore
Sibling taxa	B. aquifolium, B. julianae, B. nervosa, B. pinnata, B. piperiana, B. pumila, B. repens, B. vulgaris
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Berberis darwinii

Darwin's barberry

Habit

Shrubs 10–30 dm.

Stems

dimorphic, with short axillary shoots;

twigs densely tomentose;

bud scales 2–4 mm, deciduous;

spines present, pedately 5–9-fid.

Leaves

simple;

blades obovate, 1-veined from base, 1.7–3.0 × 0.9–1.2 cm; thick and rigid, bases acute or acuminate;

margins reflexed, undulate; each margin with 2–4 1–3 mm teeth or shallow lobes, tipped with 1.2–1.6 × 0.2–0.3 mm spines; glossy and smooth abaxially; glossy and green adaxially;

tips obtuse or rounded in outline;

petioles 0.1–0.3 cm.

Inflorescences

10–20-flowered, 3–4 cm;

bracts acuminate.

Stamens

filaments without lateral teeth.

Fruits

globose, 6–7 mm, dark purple.

Berberis darwinii

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Shrublands, open coastal woodlands. Flowering Mar–Jun. 0–100 m. Est. CA, WA; South America. Exotic.

Berberis darwinii is a popular hedge plant in coastal gardens, and it has escaped in several places along the U. S. Pacific coast. Once established, it can spread by underground runners to form thickets.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 376
Alan Whittemore

Sibling taxa