Family:
Berberidaceae Juss.

Berberis L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Temp. to Tropical Mountains.

[FZ]

Berberidaceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Evergreen or deciduous shrubs; branches with usually 3-partite spines and short axillary shoots bearing the leaves.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules absent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves apparently simple but (in our species at least) derived from 3-foliolate leaves, the side leaflets represented by vestigial leaflets and the terminal leaflet articulated at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in panicles, racemes, fascicles or solitary, yellowish or orange.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals c. 9, petaloid, free, imbricate, the outer smaller than the inner.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 6, free, imbricate, in two series, similar to the sepals but biglandular near the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6, free; anthers opening by two valves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary Ovules
Ovules few, basal, erect.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a berry.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Evergreen or deciduous shrubs or subshrubs
Morphology Branches
Branches usually with simple or compound spines, which subtend short shoots bearing the leaves and flowers
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly in clusters, sessile or almost so
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary or in clusters, umbels, racemes or panicles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals in (1–)2–3(–4) series, petaloid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals (5–)6, with 2 glands near the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6; filaments ± toothed at the apex; anthers opening by valves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with 1–12(–15) basal ascending ovules
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a berry.
Distribution
Some 600 species, mostly in the northern hemisphere of the Old World and only few species in the tropics.

[FTEA]

Berberidaceae, R. M. Polhill. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1966

Morphology General Habit
Evergreen or deciduous shrubs or subshrubs
Morphology Branches
Branches usually with simple or compound spines, which subtend short shoots bearing the leaves and flowers
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in fascicles or whorls, sessile or shortly petiolate, simple or with 2 vestigial leaflets at the base; blade toothed or entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary or in fascicles, umbels, racemes or panicles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals in (1–)2–3(–4) series or whorls, petaloid, usually with 1–2(–3) smaller bracteoles below
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals (5–)6, shorter or longer than the sepals, with 2 glands near the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6; filaments ± dentate at the apex, the connectives sometimes produced; anthers opening by valves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with 1–12(–15) basal ascending ovules
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a berry.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Alabama, Albania, Alberta, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Assam, Austria, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, California, Central European Rus, Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Chita, Colombia, Colorado, Corse, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hainan, Honduras, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Jawa, Juan Fernández Is., Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Malawi, Manchuria, Maryland, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Minnesota, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Morocco, Myanmar, Nebraska, Nepal, Nevada, New Mexico, Nicaragua, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, Northwest European R, Oman, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Panamá, Pennsylvania, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Primorye, Qinghai, Romania, Sakhalin, Sardegna, Sicilia, Somalia, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tennessee, Texas, Thailand, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia

Introduced into:

Connecticut, Delaware, Denmark, Falkland Is., Finland, Great Britain, Iowa, Ireland, Kansas, Maine, Manitoba, Massachusetts, Michigan, Netherlands, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, North European Russi, Norway, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Ontario, Portugal, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., South Australia, Sweden, Vermont, Victoria, Wisconsin

Berberis L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Ward, K. [5936] 11938.000 No
Wilson [1707] 33749.000 No
33750.000 No
33751.000 No
Bowden, J.K. [586] 37701.000 No
Bowden, J.K. [578] 37761.000 No
Simmons [Guiz 158], China Mahonia 55801.000 No

First published in Sp. Pl.: 330 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (1996). World Checklist of Seed Plants 2(1, 2): 1-492. MIM, Deurne.
  • Harber, J. (2020). The Berberis of China and Vietnam: A Revision: 1-359. Missouri Botanical Garden Press.

Literature

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 153 (1754).
  • Sp. Pl. 1: 330 (1753)

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 1, (1993) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • L., Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 153 (1754)
  • Sp. Pl.: 330 (1753)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0