Berberis trifoliolata

Moricand

Pl. Nouv. Amér., 113. 1841.

Common names: Algerita agarito currant-of-Texas agritos
Illustrated
Synonyms: Mahonia trifoliolata (Moricand) Fedde
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Shrubs, evergreen, 1-3.5 m. Stems ± dimorphic, with elongate primary and short axillary shoots. Bark of 2d-year stems gray or grayish purple, glabrous. Bud-scales 2-3 mm, deciduous. Spines absent. Leaves 3-foliolate; petioles 0.8-5.4 cm. Leaflet blades thick and rigid; surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially dull, ± glaucous; terminal leaflet sessile, blade 2.3-5.8 × 0.9-2 cm, 1.6-3.1 times as long as wide; lateral leaflet blades narrowly lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 1-veined from base, base acute or acuminate, rarely rounded-acute, margins plane, toothed or lobed, with 1-3 teeth or lobes 3-7 mm high tipped with spines to 1-2 × 0.2-0.3 mm, apex narrowly acute or acuminate. Inflorescences racemose, lax, 1-8-flowered, 0.5-3 cm; bracteoles membranous, apex acuminate. Flowers: anther-filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth. Berries red, sometimes glaucous, spheric, 6-11 mm, juicy, solid.


Phenology: Flowering winter–spring (Feb–Apr).
Habitat: Slopes and flats in grassland, shrubland, and sometimes open woodland
Elevation: 0-2000 m

Distribution

V3 1055-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., N.Mex., Tex., n Mexico

Discussion

The illegitimate name Berberis trifoliolata Moricand var. glauca (I. M. Johnston) M. C. Johnston has been used for plants with very strongly glaucous leaves. Weakly and strongly glaucous plants are often found in the same population, however, indicating that they are not distinct varieties.

Berberis trifoliolata is susceptible to infection by Puccinia graminis.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number.

... more about "Berberis trifoliolata"
acuminate;acuminate;acute +
Alan T. Whittemore +
Moricand +
grayish purple +  and gray +
rounded-acute;acuminate;acute +
Mahonia +
spheric +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 m <br /> (5.8 cm58 mm <br />0.058 m <br />) +
obovate +, oblanceolate +  and elliptic +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
scale-like +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Algerita +, agarito +, currant-of-Texas +  and agritos +
Ariz. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +  and n Mexico +
0-2000 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 +
Slopes and flats in grassland, shrubland, and sometimes open woodland +
axillary +  and terminal +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
3-foliolate +
reduced +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
lobed;toothed;plane +
1-carpellate +
basal +  and superior +
club--shaped +
3-merous +  and 2-merous +
nectariferous +
distinct +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (5.4 cm54 mm <br />0.054 m <br />) +
Flowering winter–spring (Feb–Apr). +
Pl. Nouv. Amér., +
not nodose +
tan +  and redbrown or black +
1 +  and 10 +
distinct +
elongate +
Illustrated +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br />) +
elongating +
monomorphic +, unbranched +  and branched +
with elongate primary-stems and short axillary spur shoots +  and elongate +
palmate +  and pinnate +
persistent +
papillose +
Mahonia trifoliolata +
Berberis trifoliolata +
Berberis +
species +
450 cm4,500 mm <br />4.5 m <br /> (800 cm8,000 mm <br />8 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and with tomentose stems +