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Japanese barberry

agarito, agritos, algerita, currant-of-Texas

Habit Shrubs, deciduous, 0.3-3 m. Stems dimorphic, with short axillary shoots. Shrubs, evergreen, 1-3.5 m. Stems ± dimorphic, with elongate primary and short axillary shoots.
Bark

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

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

Leaves

blade obovate to spatulate, 1-veined from base, (0.5-)1.2-2.4 × 0.3-1(-1.8) cm, thin and flexible, base long-attenuate, margins plane, entire, apex rounded or obtuse;

surfaces abaxially dull, smooth, adaxially dull, scarcely glaucous.

3-foliolate;

petioles 0.8-5.4 cm.

Leaflet

blades thick and rigid;

surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially dull, ± glaucous;

terminal leaflet sessile, blade 2.3-5.8 × 0.9-2 cm, 1.6-3.1 times as long as wide;

lateral leaflet blades narrowly lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 1-veined from base, base acute or acuminate, rarely rounded-acute, margins plane, toothed or lobed, with 1-3 teeth or lobes 3-7 mm high tipped with spines to 1-2 × 0.2-0.3 mm, apex narrowly acute or acuminate.

Spines

present, simple or 3-fid.

absent.

Inflorescences

umbellate, 1-5-flowered, 1-1.5 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex acute.

racemose, lax, 1-8-flowered, 0.5-3 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

red, ellipsoid or spheric, (7-)9-10 mm, juicy, solid.

red, sometimes glaucous, spheric, 6-11 mm, juicy, solid.

Bud

scales 1-2 mm, deciduous.

scales 2-3 mm, deciduous.

Berberis thunbergii

Berberis trifoliolata

Phenology Flowering late winter–spring (Mar–May). Flowering winter–spring (Feb–Apr).
Habitat Woods, old fields, roadsides Slopes and flats in grassland, shrubland, and sometimes open woodland
Elevation 0-1300 m (0-4300 ft) 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; NB; NS; ON; PE; native; Asia (Japan) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists Berberis thunbergii as resistant to infection by Puccinia graminis, and the species is widely grown as an ornamental in the United States. Preliminary tests carried out by Agriculture Canada, however, suggest that some strains may be susceptible to Puccinia graminis infection, and cultivation of B. thunbergii is illegal in Canada.

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

The illegitimate name Berberis trifoliolata Moricand var. glauca (I. M. Johnston) M. C. Johnston has been used for plants with very strongly glaucous leaves. Weakly and strongly glaucous plants are often found in the same population, however, indicating that they are not distinct varieties.

Berberis trifoliolata 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. nervosa, B. nevinii, B. pinnata, B. piperiana, B. pumila, B. repens, B. swaseyi, 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. nevinii, B. pinnata, B. piperiana, B. pumila, B. repens, B. swaseyi, B. thunbergii, B. vulgaris, B. wilcoxii
Synonyms Mahonia trifoliolata
Name authority de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 2: 19. (1821) Moricand: Pl. Nouv. Amér., 113. (1841)
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