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agarito, agritos, algerita, currant-of-Texas

Allegheny barberry, American barberry

Habit Shrubs, evergreen, 1-3.5 m. Stems ± dimorphic, with elongate primary and short axillary shoots. Shrubs, deciduous, 0.4-2 m. Stems dimorphic, with long primary shoots and short axillary shoots.
Bark

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

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

Leaves

3-foliolate;

petioles 0.8-5.4 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 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

absent.

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

Inflorescences

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

bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.

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

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

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

Bud

scales 2-3 mm, deciduous.

scales 1-1.5 mm, deciduous.

2n

= 28.

Berberis trifoliolata

Berberis canadensis

Phenology Flowering winter–spring (Feb–Apr). Flowering spring (Apr–May).
Habitat Slopes and flats in grassland, shrubland, and sometimes open woodland In woods or glades, on rocky slopes and near rivers
Elevation 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft) 100-700 m (300-2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; GA; IL; IN; KY; MD; MO; NC; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

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. nervosa, B. nevinii, B. pinnata, B. piperiana, B. pumila, B. repens, B. swaseyi, B. thunbergii, 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 Mahonia trifoliolata
Name authority Moricand: Pl. Nouv. Amér., 113. (1841) Miller: Gard. Dict. ed. 8, Berberis no. 2. (1768)
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