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Cascade Oregon-grape, dull Oregon-grape, dwarf Oregon-grape, Oregon grape

Allegheny barberry, American barberry

Habit Shrubs, evergreen, 0.1-0.8(-2) m. Shrubs, deciduous, 0.4-2 m.
Stems

monomorphic, without short axillary shoots.

dimorphic, with long primary shoots and short axillary shoots.

Bark

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

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

Leaves

9-21-foliolate;

petioles 2-11 cm.

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.

Leaflet

blades thin and ± flexible;

surfaces abaxially rather dull, smooth, adaxially dull, somewhat glaucous;

terminal leaflet stalked, blade 2.9-8.4 × 1.2-4.8 cm, 1.8-3.2 times as long as wide;

lateral leaflet blades lance-ovate to ovate, 4-6-veined from base, base rounded to cordate, margins plane, toothed, each with 6-13 teeth 1-2(-3) mm tipped with spines to 1-2.4 × 0.1-0.2 mm, apex acute or broadly acuminate.

Spines

absent.

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

Inflorescences

racemose, dense, 30-70-flowered, 6-17 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.

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

blue, glaucous, oblong-ovoid or globose, 8-11 mm, juicy, solid.

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

Bud

scales (13-)20-44 mm, persistent.

scales 1-1.5 mm, deciduous.

2n

= 56.

= 28.

Berberis nervosa

Berberis canadensis

Phenology Flowering winter–spring (Mar–Jun). Flowering spring (Apr–May).
Habitat Open or shaded woods, often in rocky areas In woods or glades, on rocky slopes and near rivers
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 100-700 m (300-2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; GA; IL; IN; KY; MD; MO; NC; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants of Berberis nervosa are usually very low (commonly 0.1-0.3 m), but occasional plants may be considerably taller (to 2 m). One such population from north of Westport, California, has been separated as B. nervosa var. mendocinensis. Similar populations occur sporadically throughout the range of B. nervosa, so the form should not be recognized taxonomically.

Berberis nervosa is resistant to infection by Puccinia graminis.

The Skagit tribe used Berberis nervosa medicinally in a root preparation to treat venereal disease (D. E. Moermann 1986).

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

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.)

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. haematocarpa, B. harrisoniana, B. higginsiae, 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. 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
Synonyms B. nervosa var. mendocinensis, Mahonia nervosa, Mahonia nervosa var. mendocinensis
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept., 219. (1814) Miller: Gard. Dict. ed. 8, Berberis no. 2. (1768)
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