Berberis dictyota

Jepson

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 18: 319. 1891.

EndemicIllustrated
Synonyms: Berberis aquifolium var. dictyota (Jepson) Jepson Berberis californica Jepson Mahonia dictyota (Jepson) Fedde
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Shrubs, evergreen, (0.3-) 0.5-2 m. Stems usually monomorphic, seldom with short axillary shoots. Bark of 2d-year stems brown or purple, glabrous. Bud-scales 3-5 mm, deciduous. Spines absent. Leaves 5-7-foliolate; petioles 0.5-3 cm. Leaflet blades thick and rigid; surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially dull, glaucous; terminal leaflet stalked, rarely sessile in a few leaves, blades 2.2-8.8 × 1.8-6 cm, 1.2-2 times as long as wide; lateral leaflet blades elliptic to oblong or oblong-ovate, 1-3-veined from base, base obtuse or truncate, margins strongly crispate, toothed, each with 3-8 teeth 2-8 mm tipped with spines to 2-4.8 × 0.4-0.6 mm, apex rounded or obtuse. Inflorescences racemose, dense, 25-50-flowered, 3-7 cm; bracteoles membranous, apex rounded or obtuse. Flowers: anther-filaments with distal pair of recurved lateral teeth. Berries dark blue, at least sometimes glaucous, oblong-ovoid, 6-7 mm, juicy, solid. 2n = 28.


Phenology: Flowering winter–spring (Mar–Apr).
Habitat: Dry rocky places in chaparral and open woodland
Elevation: 600-1800 m

Discussion

Berberis dictyota, B. amplectens, B. pumila, and B. wilcoxii are very similar, and the characters that separate them (height, glossiness and crispation of leaflets, and size and number of marginal teeth) are rather variable within the species. Berberis piperiana also belongs to this group, although it is usually more distinct because of its thinner leaflets with more slender, more numerous marginal spines.

Berberis dictyota is resistant to infection by Puccinia graminis.

Medicinally, the Kawaiisu used a decoction of the root of Berberis dictyota to treat gonorrhea (D. E. Moermann 1986).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number.

... more about "Berberis dictyota"
obtuse;rounded;obtuse;rounded +
Alan T. Whittemore +
Jepson +
purple +  and brown +
truncate;obtuse +
Mahonia +
oblong-ovoid +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br /> (8.8 cm88 mm <br />0.088 m <br />) +
obovate +, oblanceolate +  and elliptic +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
scale-like +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
600-1800 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 +
Dry rocky places in chaparral and open woodland +
axillary +  and terminal +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
5-7-foliolate +
reduced +
toothed;crispate +
1-carpellate +
basal +  and superior +
club--shaped +
3-merous +  and 2-merous +
nectariferous +
distinct +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Flowering winter–spring (Mar–Apr). +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
not nodose +
tan +  and redbrown or black +
1 +  and 10 +
distinct +
elongate +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
2mm;4.8mm +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br />) +
elongating +
monomorphic +
with elongate primary-stems and short axillary spur shoots +  and elongate +
palmate +  and pinnate +
persistent +
papillose +
Berberis aquifolium var. dictyota +, Berberis californica +  and Mahonia dictyota +
Berberis dictyota +
Berberis +
species +
sessile +  and stalked +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and with tomentose stems +