Berberis thunbergii

de Candolle

Syst. Nat. 2: 19. 1821.

Common names: Japanese barberry
Introduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Shrubs, deciduous, 0.3-3 m. Stems dimorphic, with short axillary shoots. Bark of 2d-year stems purple or brown, glabrous. Bud-scales 1-2 mm, deciduous. Spines present, simple or 3-fid. Leaves simple; petioles 0-0.8 cm. Leaf-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. Inflorescences umbellate, 1-5-flowered, 1-1.5 cm; bracteoles membranous, apex acute. Flowers: anther-filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth. Berries red, ellipsoid or spheric, (7-) 9-10 mm, juicy, solid.


Phenology: Flowering late winter–spring (Mar–May).
Habitat: Woods, old fields, roadsides
Elevation: 0-1300 m

Distribution

V3 815-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; N.B., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Conn., Del., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., S.Dak., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., native, Asia (Japan)

Discussion

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Berberis thunbergii"
acute;obtuse;rounded +
Alan T. Whittemore +
de Candolle +
brown +  and purple +
long-attenuate +
0.3cm;1cm +
Mahonia +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
spheric +  and ellipsoid +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
obovate +, oblanceolate +  and elliptic +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
scale-like +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Japanese barberry +
N.B. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Conn. +, Del. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, S.Dak. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, native +  and Asia (Japan) +
0-1300 m +
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 +
Woods, old fields, roadsides +
1-5-flowered +  and umbellate +
axillary +  and terminal +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
obovate +  and spatulate +
reduced +
1-carpellate +
basal +  and superior +
club--shaped +
3-merous +  and 2-merous +
nectariferous +
distinct +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Flowering late winter–spring (Mar–May). +
not nodose +
tan +  and redbrown or black +
1 +  and 10 +
distinct +
elongate +
W2 +  and Introduced +
elongating +
monomorphic +, unbranched +  and branched +
with elongate primary-stems and short axillary spur shoots +  and elongate +
palmate +  and pinnate +
persistent +
Odostemon +
Berberis thunbergii +
Berberis +
species +
450 cm4,500 mm <br />4.5 m <br /> (800 cm8,000 mm <br />8 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and with tomentose stems +