Berberis fremontii is a species of barberry known by the common name Frémont's mahonia (after John C. Frémont).

Berberis fremontii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Berberidaceae
Genus: Berberis
Species:
B. fremontii
Binomial name
Berberis fremontii
Synonyms[1]
  • Alloberberis fremontii (Torr.) C.C.Yu & K.F.Chung
  • Mahonia fremontii (Torr.) Fedde
  • Odostemon fremontii (Torr.) Rydb.

Description

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Berberis fremontii is an erect evergreen shrub growing up to 4.5 meters tall. The leaves are several centimeters long and are made up of several holly-leaf-shaped leaflets, each most often 1–2.6 centimeters long and edged with spiny teeth.[2] The leaves are purplish when new, green when mature, and greenish blue when aged.

The abundant inflorescences each bear 8 to 12 bright yellow flowers, blooming in the spring.[2] Each flower is made up of nine sepals and six petals all arranged in whorls of three. The fruit is a berry up to 1.5 centimeters wide, ranging in color from yellowish to purple to nearly black.[2]

Taxonomy

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Berberis fremontii was scientifically described and named by John Torrey.[1] For many years it has been part of the controversy on if parts of the Berberis genus should be classified as Mahonia.[1][3] Friedrich Karl Georg Fedde classified it as Mahonia fremontii in 1901. However, as of 2023 Plants of the World Online (POWO) classifies it as part of Berberis.[1]

Names

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The plant was named in honor of John C. Frémont.[4]

Distribution and habitat

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Berberis fremontii is native to mountainous regions of the US states of Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. It grows in desert grassland and pinyon-juniper woodland.[4]

Uses

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The Zuni people use the crushed berries as a purple coloring for the skin and for objects employed in ceremonies.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Berberis fremontii Torr". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Whittemore, Alan T. (5 November 2020). "Berberis fremontii - FNA". Flora of North America. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  3. ^ Laferrière, Joseph Edward (1997). "Transfer of Specific and Infraspecific Taxa from Mahonia to Berberis (Berberidaceae)". Botanicheskii Zhurnal. 82 (9): 95–97. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Berberis fremontii in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org.
  5. ^ Stevenson, Matilda Coxe 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #30 (p. 88)
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