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Allegheny barberry, American barberry

Wilcox's barberry, Wilcox's hollygrape

Habit Shrubs, deciduous, 0.4-2 m. Stems dimorphic, with long primary shoots and short axillary shoots. Shrubs, evergreen, 0.3-2 m. Stems ± monomorphic, seldom 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.

5-9-foliolate;

petioles 1-5 cm.

Leaflet

blades thick and rigid;

surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially glossy, green;

terminal leaflet stalked, blade 2.6-6.6 × 1.7-4.4 cm, 1-2.5 times as long as wide;

lateral leaflet blades oblong to ovate or elliptic, 1-3-veined from base, base obtuse to rounded or truncate, margins plane to crispate, toothed, each with 3-5 teeth 1-5 mm tipped with spines to 1.2-3.8 × 0.2-0.6 mm, apex acute to rounded.

Spines

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

absent.

Inflorescences

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

bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.

racemose, dense, 30-50-flowered, 2-7 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex rounded or obtuse.

Flowers

anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

anther filaments with distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

Berries

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

blue, glaucous, oblong-ovoid, 6-11 mm, juicy, solid.

Bud

scales 1-1.5 mm, deciduous.

scales 2-6 mm, deciduous.

2n

= 28.

Berberis canadensis

Berberis wilcoxii

Phenology Flowering spring (Apr–May). Flowering spring (Apr–May).
Habitat In woods or glades, on rocky slopes and near rivers Slopes and canyons
Elevation 100-700 m (300-2300 ft) 1500-2500 m (4900-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA; IL; IN; KY; MD; MO; NC; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Sonora)
[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.)

Berberis wilcoxii has not been tested for resistance to infection by Puccinia graminis.

(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. thunbergii, B. trifoliolata, B. vulgaris
Name authority Miller: Gard. Dict. ed. 8, Berberis no. 2. (1768) Kearney: Trans. New York Acad. Sci. 14: 29. (1894)
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