Berberis fremontii
Berberis higginsiae
Fremont barberry, Fremont's barberry, Fremont's mahonia
Fremont's mahonia
of 2d-year stems light brown or grayish purple, glabrous.
of 2d-year stems brown or purple, glabrous.
5-9(-11)-foliolate;
petioles 0.2-0.8(-3) cm.
5-7-foliolate (or 3 by abortion of basal pair, leaving prominent articulation on petiole);
petioles 0.1-0.4 cm.
blades thick and rigid;
surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially dull, glaucous;
terminal leaflet stalked in most or all leaves, blade 1-2.6(-4) × 0.7-1.8(-2.5) cm, 1-2.5 times as long as wide;
lateral leaflet blades elliptic to ovate or orbiculate, 1-3-veined from base, base obtuse or truncate, margins strongly crispate, toothed or lobed, with 2-5 teeth 2-6 mm high tipped with spines to 0.8-2.2 × 0.2-0.3 mm, apex obtuse to acuminate.
blades thick and rigid;
surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially dull, glaucous;
terminal leaflet stalked (sessile in a few leaves), blade 1.4-3.4 × 1.1-2.4 cm, 1-2.5 times as long as wide;
lateral leaflet blades oblong to ovate or elliptic, 1-3-veined from base, base obtuse or truncate, margins undulate or crispate, toothed, each with 2-5 teeth 1-4 mm high tipped with spines to 1.2-3 × 0.2-0.3 mm, apex rounded to acute.
absent.
absent.
racemose, lax, 3-6-flowered, 2.5-6.5 cm;
bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.
racemose, lax, 5-8-flowered, 2.5-8 cm;
bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.
anther filaments with distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.
yellow or red to brown, ± glaucous, spheric, 12-18 mm, dry, inflated.
yellowish red, slightly glaucous, spheric, 6-8 mm, juicy, solid.
scales 2-4 mm, deciduous.
scales 2-3 mm, deciduous.
Berberis fremontii
Berberis higginsiae
Berberis fremontii is susceptible to infection by Puccinia graminis.
The Apache Indians used Berberis fremontii for ceremonial purposes; the Hopi used it medicinally to heal gums (D. E. Moermann 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Of conservation concern.
Berberis higginsiae is endemic to the region immediately south and east of San Diego, California. The leaflet description above fits the few known California collections; specimens with narrower leaflets (terminal leaflets to 4.5 times as long as wide) have been collected just south of the Mexican border, where leaflet shape may be variable on a single specimen. Berberis higginsiae is intermediate between B. fremontii and B. haematocarpa in its variable leaflet shape and berries that are small and juicy but yellowish red. Further study may show that it is conspecific with one of these species (R. V. Moran 1982).
Berberis higginsiae is susceptible to infection by Puccinia graminis.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
