Berberis trifoliolata
Berberis vulgaris
agarito, agritos, algerita, currant-of-Texas
berbéris vulgaire, common barberry, common berberis, European barberry, jaundice berry, piprage, épine-vinette
of 2d-year stems gray or grayish purple, glabrous.
of 2d-year stems gray, glabrous.
3-foliolate;
petioles 0.8-5.4 cm.
blade obovate to oblanceolate or almost elliptic, 1-veined from base, 2-6(-8) × 0.9-2.8 cm, thin and flexible, base short- to long-attenuate, margins plane, finely serrate, each with (8-)16-30 teeth 0-1 mm high tipped with spines or bristles to 0.6-1.4 × 0.1 mm, apex rounded or obtuse;
surfaces abaxially dull, smooth, adaxially dull, ± glaucous.
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.
absent.
present, simple or 3-fid.
racemose, lax, 1-8-flowered, 0.5-3 cm;
bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate.
racemose, lax, 10-20-flowered, 2-6 cm;
bracteoles membranous, apex acute.
anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.
anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.
red, sometimes glaucous, spheric, 6-11 mm, juicy, solid.
red or purple, ellipsoid, 10-11 mm, juicy, solid.
scales 2-3 mm, deciduous.
scales 2-3 mm, deciduous.
Berberis trifoliolata
Berberis vulgaris
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.)
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Berberis vulgaris was very commonly cultivated in North America for thorn hedges and as a source of jam and yellow dye. It frequently escaped from cultivation and became naturalized over a wide area of eastern North America. It is susceptible to infection by Puccinia graminis. As the most important alternate host of this fungus, it has been the subject of vigorous eradication programs, and it is now infrequent or absent in many areas where it was once frequent (A. P. Roelfs 1982).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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