Berberis pinnata

Lagasca

Elench. Pl., 14. 1816.

Synonyms: Mahonia pinnata (Lagasca) Fedde
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Shrubs, evergreen, 0.3-1.6 (-7) m. Stems usually monomorphic, seldom with short axillary shoots. Bark of 2d-year stems grayish brown, glabrous. Bud-scales 3-7 mm, deciduous. Spines absent. Leaves (3-) 5-13-foliolate; petioles 0.5-4.5 (-7.5) cm. Leaflet blades thin and ± rigid or flexible; surfaces abaxially glossy, smooth, adaxially glossy, green; terminal leaflet stalked, blade 2.6-6.2 × 2-4.5 cm, 1.3-1.9 times as long as wide; lateral leaflet blades elliptic to ovate or broadly lanceolate, 1 (-3) -veined from base, base broadly obtuse, truncate, or weakly cordate, margins plane to crispate, toothed, each with 5-22 teeth 0-2 mm tipped with spines to 1-3 × 0.1-0.3 mm, apex acute to rounded-obtuse. Inflorescences racemose, dense, 25-50-flowered, 2-9 cm; bracteoles membranous, apex rounded to broadly acute, sometimes apiculate. Anther-filaments with distal pair of recurved lateral teeth. Berries blue, glaucous, oblong-ovoid to subspheric, 6-7 mm, juicy, solid.

Distribution

Calif., Oreg., Mexico (Baja California)

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Berberis pinnata is very similar to B. aquifolium, and the two are sometimes difficult to separate. Some authors have used the spacing of the lateral leaflets (said to be contiguous or imbricate in B. pinnata and remote in B. aquifolium) to separate them, but the leaflets are often remote in both species and may be contiguous in B. aquifolium.

Berberis pinnata is resistant to infection by Puccinia graminis.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Margins of leaf blade undulate or crispate, marginal spines to 1.2-3 × 0.2-0.3 mm; shrubs 0.3-1.6 m, self-supporting. Berberis pinnata subsp. pinnata
1 Margins of leaf blade plane or weakly undulate, marginal spines to 1-1.6 × 0.1- 0.2 mm; shrubs 1-7 m, self-supporting or clambering over surrounding vegetation. Berberis pinnata subsp. insularis

"thin" is not a number.

... more about "Berberis pinnata"
rounded;broadly acute +
Alan T. Whittemore +
Lagasca +
grayish brown +
cordate;truncate;cordate;truncate;obtuse +
Mahonia +
oblong-ovoid +  and subspheric +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br /> (6.2 cm62 mm <br />0.062 m <br />) +
obovate +, oblanceolate +  and elliptic +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
scale-like +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Calif. +, Oreg. +  and Mexico (Baja California) +
small +  and large +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (?) +
compound +  and simple +
spheric +  and cylindric-ovoid or ellipsoid +
axillary +  and terminal +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
(3-)5-13-foliolate +
reduced +
toothed;plane;crispate +
1-carpellate +
basal +  and superior +
club--shaped +
3-merous +  and 2-merous +
nectariferous +
distinct +
4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
Elench. Pl., +
not nodose +
tan +  and redbrown or black +
1 +  and 10 +
distinct +
elongate +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br />) +
elongating +
monomorphic +
with elongate primary-stems and short axillary spur shoots +  and elongate +
palmate +  and pinnate +
persistent +
Mahonia pinnata +
Berberis pinnata +
Berberis +
species +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
160 cm1,600 mm <br />1.6 m <br /> (700 cm7,000 mm <br />7 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and with tomentose stems +