Flora of North America species comparison

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Berberis canadensis

Berberis thunbergii

Allegheny barberry, American barberry

Japanese barberry
Habit Shrubs, deciduous, 0.4-2 m. Stems dimorphic, with long primary shoots and short axillary shoots. Shrubs, deciduous, 0.3-3 m. Stems dimorphic, with short axillary shoots.
Bark

of 2d-year stems purple or brown, glabrous.

of 2d-year stems purple or brown, glabrous.
Leaves

blade oblanceolate or sometimes narrowly elliptic, 1-veined from base, 1.8-7.5 × 0.8-3.3 cm, thin and flexible, base long-attenuate, margins plane, toothed, each with 3-12 teeth 0-1 mm high tipped with bristles to 0.2-1.2 × 0.1-0.15 mm, apex rounded or rounded-obtuse;

surfaces abaxially dull, smooth, adaxially dull, ± glaucous.

blade obovate to spatulate, 1-veined from base, (0.5-)1.2-2.4 × 0.3-1(-1.8) cm, thin and flexible, base long-attenuate, margins plane, entire, apex rounded or obtuse;

surfaces abaxially dull, smooth, adaxially dull, scarcely glaucous.
Spines

present, simple or 3(-7)-fid.

present, simple or 3-fid.
Inflorescences

racemose, lax, 3-12-flowered, 2-5.5 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.

umbellate, 1-5-flowered, 1-1.5 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex acute.
Flowers

anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.
Berries

red, oblong-ellipsoid, 10 mm, juicy, solid.

red, ellipsoid or spheric, (7-)9-10 mm, juicy, solid.
Bud

scales 1-1.5 mm, deciduous.

scales 1-2 mm, deciduous.
2n

= 28.

Berberis canadensis

Berberis thunbergii
Phenology Flowering spring (Apr–May). Flowering late winter–spring (Mar–May).
Habitat In woods or glades, on rocky slopes and near rivers Woods, old fields, roadsides
Elevation 100-700 m (300-2300 ft) 0-1300 m (0-4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA; IL; IN; KY; MD; MO; NC; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; NB; NS; ON; PE; native; Asia (Japan) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Berberis canadensis is susceptible to infection by Puccinia graminis.

The Cherokee Indians used scraped bark of Berberis canadensis in infusions to treat diarrhea (D. E. Moermann 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists Berberis thunbergii as resistant to infection by Puccinia graminis, and the species is widely grown as an ornamental in the United States. Preliminary tests carried out by Agriculture Canada, however, suggest that some strains may be susceptible to Puccinia graminis infection, and cultivation of B. thunbergii is illegal in Canada.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Berberidaceae > Berberis Berberidaceae > Berberis
Sibling taxa
B. amplectens, B. aquifolium, B. bealei, B. darwinii, B. dictyota, B. fendleri, B. fremontii, B. haematocarpa, B. harrisoniana, B. higginsiae, B. nervosa, B. nevinii, B. pinnata, B. piperiana, B. pumila, B. repens, B. swaseyi, B. thunbergii, B. trifoliolata, B. vulgaris, B. wilcoxii
B. amplectens, B. aquifolium, B. bealei, B. canadensis, B. darwinii, B. dictyota, B. fendleri, B. fremontii, B. haematocarpa, B. harrisoniana, B. higginsiae, B. nervosa, B. nevinii, B. pinnata, B. piperiana, B. pumila, B. repens, B. swaseyi, B. trifoliolata, B. vulgaris, B. wilcoxii
Name authority Miller: Gard. Dict. ed. 8, Berberis no. 2. (1768) de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 2: 19. (1821)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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