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algerita, red barberry, red fruit mahonia

Colorado barberry

Habit Shrubs, evergreen, 1-4 m. Stems ± dimorphic, with elongate primary and short or somewhat elongate axillary shoots. Shrubs, deciduous, 1-2 m. Stems dimorphic, with elongate primary and short axillary shoots.
Bark

of 2d-year stems grayish purple, glabrous.

of 2d-year stems purple, glabrous.

Leaves

3-9-foliolate;

petioles 0.1-0.5 cm.

blade narrowly elliptic, 1-veined from base, 1.7-4.6 × 0.6-1.7 cm, thin and flexible, base long-attenuate, margins plane, entire or toothed, each with 3-12 teeth 0-1 mm high tipped with bristles to 0.4-1.4 × 0.1-0.2 mm, apex acute to obtuse or rounded;

surfaces abaxially dull or glossy and smooth, adaxially dull or glossy and not glaucous.

Leaflet

blades thick and rigid;

surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially dull, glaucous;

terminal leaflet stalked in most leaves, blade 1.5-3.8 × 0.5-1.1 cm, 2-5 times as long as wide;

lateral leaflet blades oblong-ovate to ovate or lanceolate, 1(-3)-veined from base, base acute to obtuse, rarely subtruncate, margins undulate or crispate, toothed or lobed, with 2-4 teeth 1-4 mm high tipped with spines to 1.2-2 × 0.2-0.3 mm, apex narrowly acute or acuminate.

Spines

absent.

present, simple or 1-2-pinnately branched.

Inflorescences

racemose, lax, 3-7-flowered, 1.5–4.5 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.

racemose, lax, 4-15-flowered, 1.5-4.5 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.

Flowers

anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

Berries

purplish red, glaucous, spheric or short-ellipsoid, 5-8 mm, juicy, solid.

red, not glaucous, oblong-ellipsoid, 6-8 mm, juicy, solid.

Bud

scales 2-4 mm, deciduous.

scales 1-2 mm, deciduous.

Berberis haematocarpa

Berberis fendleri

Phenology Flowering winter–spring (Feb–Jun). Flowering spring–summer (May–Aug).
Habitat Slopes and flats in desert shrubland, desert grassland, and dry oak woodland Slopes and canyon bottoms
Elevation 900-2300 m (3000-7500 ft) 1300-2700 m (4300-8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; Mexico (Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Typical populations of Berberis haematocarpa (with narrowly ovate or lanceolate leaflets and small, juicy, deep red berries) and B. fremontii (with ovate or orbiculate leaflets and large, dry, inflated, yellowish or brownish berries) are easily distinguished. These characteristics are not always well correlated, however, and intermediate populations, showing different combinations of leaflet shape and berry size, color, and inflation, are known.

Berberis haematocarpa is susceptible to infection by Puccinia graminis.

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

Berberis fendleri is susceptible 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. canadensis, B. darwinii, B. dictyota, B. fendleri, B. fremontii, 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. 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
Synonyms B. nevinii var. haematocarpa, Mahonia haematocarpa
Name authority Wooton: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 304. (1898) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, ser. 2, 4: 5. (1849)
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