The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Wilcox's barberry, Wilcox's hollygrape

Japanese barberry

Habit Shrubs, evergreen, 0.3-2 m. Stems ± monomorphic, seldom with short axillary shoots. Shrubs, deciduous, 0.3-3 m. Stems dimorphic, with short axillary shoots.
Bark

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

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

Leaves

5-9-foliolate;

petioles 1-5 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 glossy, green;

terminal leaflet stalked, blade 2.6-6.6 × 1.7-4.4 cm, 1-2.5 times as long as wide;

lateral leaflet blades oblong to ovate or elliptic, 1-3-veined from base, base obtuse to rounded or truncate, margins plane to crispate, toothed, each with 3-5 teeth 1-5 mm tipped with spines to 1.2-3.8 × 0.2-0.6 mm, apex acute to rounded.

Spines

absent.

present, simple or 3-fid.

Inflorescences

racemose, dense, 30-50-flowered, 2-7 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex rounded or obtuse.

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

bracteoles membranous, apex acute.

Flowers

anther filaments with distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

Berries

blue, glaucous, oblong-ovoid, 6-11 mm, juicy, solid.

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

Bud

scales 2-6 mm, deciduous.

scales 1-2 mm, deciduous.

Berberis wilcoxii

Berberis thunbergii

Phenology Flowering spring (Apr–May). Flowering late winter–spring (Mar–May).
Habitat Slopes and canyons Woods, old fields, roadsides
Elevation 1500-2500 m (4900-8200 ft) 0-1300 m (0-4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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]
Discussion

Berberis wilcoxii has not been tested for resistance 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
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. trifoliolata, B. vulgaris
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
Name authority Kearney: Trans. New York Acad. Sci. 14: 29. (1894) de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 2: 19. (1821)
Web links