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

Nevin's barberry

Habit Shrubs, evergreen, 0.1-0.8(-2) m. Shrubs, evergreen, 1-4 m.
Stems

monomorphic, without short axillary shoots.

± dimorphic, with elongate primary and short or somewhat elongate axillary shoots.

Bark

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

of 2d-year stems grayish or brownish purple, glabrous.

Leaves

9-21-foliolate;

petioles 2-11 cm.

3-5(-7)-foliolate;

petioles 0.2-0.7 cm.

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.

blades thin but rigid;

surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially dull, glaucous;

terminal leaflet stalked in most or all leaves, blade 2.1-4.1 × 0.7-1.1 cm, 3-6 times as long as wide;

lateral leaflet blades lance-ovate or lance-elliptic to lanceolate, 1-veined from base, base obtuse or rounded, margins plane or undulate, toothed, each with 4-11 teeth 0-1 mm high tipped with spines to 0.4-2 × 0.1-0.2 mm, apex acuminate.

Spines

absent.

absent.

Inflorescences

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

bracteoles membranous, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.

racemose, lax, 3-8-flowered, 2-5 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate, sometimes with proximal bracteoles leathery, spinose-acuminate.

Flowers

anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

anther filaments with distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

Berries

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

yellowish red to red, not glaucous, spheric, 5-6 mm, juicy, solid.

Bud

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

scales 2-3 mm, deciduous.

2n

= 56.

Berberis nervosa

Berberis nevinii

Phenology Flowering winter–spring (Mar–Jun). Flowering winter–spring (Feb–May).
Habitat Open or shaded woods, often in rocky areas Sandy slopes and washes in chaparral, coastal scrub, and riparian scrub
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 0-600 m (0-2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch 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.)

Of conservation concern.

Berberis nevinii is known from scattered populations from San Francisquito Canyon, north of Valencia, south to Dripping Springs, near Aguanga. It 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. 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. canadensis, B. darwinii, B. dictyota, B. fendleri, B. fremontii, B. haematocarpa, B. harrisoniana, B. higginsiae, B. nervosa, 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 Mahonia nevinii
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept., 219. (1814) A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1: 69. (1895)
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