Berberis trifoliolata |
Berberis thunbergii |
|
---|---|---|
agarito, agritos, algerita, currant-of-Texas |
Japanese barberry |
|
Habit | Shrubs, evergreen, 1-3.5 m. Stems ± dimorphic, with elongate primary and short axillary shoots. | Shrubs, deciduous, 0.3-3 m. Stems dimorphic, with 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 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. |
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-fid. |
Inflorescences | racemose, lax, 1-8-flowered, 0.5-3 cm; bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate. |
umbellate, 1-5-flowered, 1-1.5 cm; bracteoles membranous, apex acute. |
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, ellipsoid or spheric, (7-)9-10 mm, juicy, solid. |
Bud | scales 2-3 mm, deciduous. |
scales 1-2 mm, deciduous. |
Berberis trifoliolata |
Berberis thunbergii |
|
Phenology | Flowering winter–spring (Feb–Apr). | Flowering late winter–spring (Mar–May). |
Habitat | Slopes and flats in grassland, shrubland, and sometimes open woodland | Woods, old fields, roadsides |
Elevation | 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft) | 0-1300 m (0-4300 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico
|
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]
|
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.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Berberidaceae > Berberis | Berberidaceae > Berberis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Mahonia trifoliolata | |
Name authority | Moricand: Pl. Nouv. Amér., 113. (1841) | de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 2: 19. (1821) |
Web links |
|