Berberis nervosa
Berberis higginsiae
Cascade Oregon-grape, dull Oregon-grape, dwarf Oregon-grape, Oregon grape
Fremont's mahonia
monomorphic, without short axillary shoots.
± dimorphic, with elongate primary and short or somewhat elongate axillary shoots.
of 2d-year stems brown or yellow-brown, glabrous.
of 2d-year stems brown or purple, glabrous.
9-21-foliolate;
petioles 2-11 cm.
5-7-foliolate (or 3 by abortion of basal pair, leaving prominent articulation on petiole);
petioles 0.1-0.4 cm.
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.
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, dense, 30-70-flowered, 6-17 cm;
bracteoles membranous, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.
racemose, lax, 5-8-flowered, 2.5-8 cm;
bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.
anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.
blue, glaucous, oblong-ovoid or globose, 8-11 mm, juicy, solid.
yellowish red, slightly glaucous, spheric, 6-8 mm, juicy, solid.
scales (13-)20-44 mm, persistent.
scales 2-3 mm, deciduous.
= 56.
Berberis nervosa
Berberis higginsiae
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.)
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.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
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PNW Herbaria 
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