Jepson eFlora Key page for Berberis

Key to Berberis

View taxon page for Berberis

(For a list of species in Berberis, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Leaves simple

2. Leaves evergreen, with 6–8 coarse, generally terminal spines; petals orange ..... B. darwinii

2' Leaves deciduous, with >> 8, small, marginal spines; petals yellow ..... B. vulgaris

1' Leaves compound

3. Bud scales persistent among upper leaves, 15–45 mm, thick, lanceolate; leaflets ± palmately veined ..... B. nervosa

3' Bud scales generally deciduous, < 5 mm, thin, ovate to deltate; leaflets generally pinnately veined

4. Inflorescence open, flowers generally < 10; petiole generally < 2 cm; terminal leaflets generally lanceolate, oblong, or narrowly elliptic – SW, D

5. Leaflets generally 3, terminal sessile ..... B. harrisoniana

5' Leaflets 3–9, terminal stalked

6. Leaflets flat to ± wavy, not folded along midrib, serrate, spines generally > 8 per side, ± 1 mm ..... B. nevinii

6' Leaflets wavy, generally folded along midrib, ± lobed, spines generally 3–8 per side, 1–4 mm

7. Terminal leaflet generally < 2 × width; berries yellow-red when fresh, ± glaucous, not inflated ..... B. higginsiae

7' Terminal leaflet generally > 2 × width; berries blue-black when fresh, heavily glaucous, not inflated or inflated only due to insect parasitism

8. Terminal leaflet generally lance-ovate, length generally < 3 × width; flowers 8–12; fruit yellow- to purple-red ..... B. fremontii

8' Terminal leaflet generally narrow-lanceolate, length generally > 3 × width; flowers 3–5; fruit red-brown to dark purple ..... B. haematocarpa

4' Inflorescence dense, flowers > 10; petiole generally > 2 cm (0–3 cm in Berberis pinnata); terminal leaflets generally ovate to wide-elliptic

9. Leaflet margin strongly wavy, thick, generally hard, spines 6–10(12) per side, 2–5 mm ..... B. aquifolium var. dictyota

9' Leaflet margin wavy to flat, ± thin, not hard, spines generally > 10 per side (to 0 in Berberis pinnata), 1–2 mm

10. Petioles generally > 3 cm; leaflets generally 5–9

11. Stems ascending to erect, generally 1–2 m; leaflets generally shiny adaxially ..... B. aquifolium var. aquifolium

11' Stems spreading to erect, generally < 0.8 m; leaflets generally dull adaxially ..... B. aquifolium var. repens

10' Petioles generally 1–3 cm; leaflets generally 7–11 ..... B. pinnata

12. Leaflet margins generally flat, spines generally < 1 mm; upper stems reclining to weakly erect; plant 2–4 m ..... subsp. insularis

12' Leaflet margins generally wavy, spines generally > 1 mm; upper stems generally erect; plant generally < 2 m ..... subsp. pinnata