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Barberry Family: Berberidaceae
The Barberry family consists of almost 500 species. While most are in the north temperate zone, they are scattered throughout the world in what appears to be a haphazard fashion, suggesting —along with certain plant characteristics—that they are primitive angiosperms (flowering plants). The various genera also are quite disparate—the best known North American species are the eastern mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) from which the medication podophyllin is obtained. The common barberry (Berberis vulgaris), a red-berried hedge-plant, is a native of Europe. Several other barberries, e.g., the Japanese barberry (B. thunbergii) as well as various species of Oregon grape, including the one shown here, are also used as ornamentals in hedges and as ground-cover—the family’s main economic importance. Most are woody, sometimes brambly, shrubs. Some are evergreen. The flowers have four to six sepals and the same number of petals, although, because they are joined, they be hard to count. The word “berberi,” from which “barberry” was derived, goes back at least to the 15th century. apparently the resemblance to “berry” is fortuitous.
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The Creeping oregon grape, Berberis repens Lindl. The creeping Oregon grape, or holly grape, grows in open woods, spreading by woody roots (repens means “creeping”). Deep green to rusty-red holly-like leaves and clustered bright yellow flowers make it easy to identify. Seedy blue berries appear in mid- to late summer. These have a sweet-and-sour taste and may be used for jelly. The name Mahonia repens, used until recently for this plant, honored Irish-born Philadelphia horticulturist Bernard M’Mahon (1775-1816). M'Mahon had access to the plant specimens from the Lewis and Clark expedition and grew various plants, including this one, from seeds returned by the Lewis and Clark expedition (the site of collection for this plant is unknown—probably Northern Idaho in 1805 or 1806.) The explorers also brought back dried specimens of two other Oregon grapes collected at today's The Dalles in Oregon (Berberis aquifolium and Berberis nervosa). These rather similar plants also grow in Idaho, but the one shown here is most commonly encountered in our mountains. | |
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